Emma's Story
by RECH2O
Summary: After Emma moves away with her family, she is enroled in the program that works with other kids who's parents work for the same copany as her father. But these kids aren't as normal as they might look. in fact most are down right crazy.
1. Life Changing Events

**Emma's Story **

_A/N: I use to have up Emma's Diary, but I had a better idea about what Emma should be doing, including a new boy and crazy girls getting in her way and giving her painful memories, and a physic reading that leaves Emma scared for her life. R/R _

**Chapter 1: Life Changing Events **

I watched my mother ring the front desk bell. Families I had met before were around us as well as some I hardly knew. My father was talking to his new boss, getting everything set up for us to join the group on the road.

My Father, Neil Gilbert, had just gotten a great new job, but it required for us, his family, to go on the road with five other families we had yet to meet. I didn't know if they were nice, mean, trustable, and trustablilty was big for me.

My mother, Lisa Gilbert, and my brother, Elliot Gilbert, were quiet ok with the move. They thought it would be fun to see the world with a bunch of people we hardly knew yet. And to make it worse, not only would I be leaving my best friends right before our last year of high school, I had to attend a school with four other girls and four other boys I hardly knew, and be great friends with them. If you know anything about my life, which you should, if your reading this, I can't trust people I just met, not to mention being great friends with them.

"Emma, the bus is leaving, you don't want to have to drive for hours with us," My mother called as the attendants closed the carrier to the charter bus the kids would take everywhere.

I pulled on my backpack, stocked with extra towels, my iPod, cell phone, food, and no liquids. Then I followed my brother onto the bus we would be riding for the next 8 hours and from then on, until we went overseas in two days.

Once on the bus, I caught a glimpse of the other children forced from their happy lives to move around the world. There were 15 of us all together, 5 older girls, 4 older boys, 3 younger girls and 3 younger boys. Since Elliot and I were coming onto this long trip after they had been on for at least a month now, it seemed like we were the only two who didn't know anyone.

I sat in the back, with two of the older girls across the aisle. The other two older girls sat in front of me. It looked like all four of them knew each other, and I was the new kid trying to fit in. The two in front of me were twins, brunette hair, tan skin, big brown eyes, very identical, and very Cleo. The girls across the aisle, on the other hand, couldn't be more different. One had chocolate brown skin, dark black hair, and brown eyes. The other was as pale as pale could be, red hair, green eyes. All four pairs of eyes were on me as the bus pulled out of the hotel.

Two rows in front of the twins, were two boys. One had the same red hair and pale skin as the girl next to me. The other also had pale skin, but bleach blond hair, matching my friend, Rikki's. As the red-head boy looked back at me, the blond boy kept his head towards the front.

Across from them were two other boys. One had dirty blond hair, shaggy, and tanner skin. He also looked back on me with big blues eyes. The other had dark black hair, almost the shade of the boy I'd known since I was three, Zane Bennett. His eyes were a dull gray and didn't move from me for at least a minute.

"I think our brother has a little crush on you," one of the twins said with a quick look to the other. "I'm Lilly, this is my twin sister, Rose, and the boy with the black hair is our step-brother, Luke."

"Hey, I'm Emma," I said trying my best to smile and look like I was happy to be there.

"I'm Molly and this is Jane," The girl with the chocolate skin said sticking her hand across the aisle to me.

I shock it nicely, then pulled it back and whipped it on my pants, just in case. I was never the one for messes, epically around a lot of people, like Cleo and Rikki. My friends tracked accidents like bees to flowers. It was a wonder how they haven't been caught. Still, I guess it is also the reason they are so fast on their feet, even though I'm the fastest in the water, Rikki sure can beat me on land.

"And the boy next to Luke is Mark, don't waste your time on either of them," Jane informed me. "The boy with the hair like mine is my brother, Sam and the one next to him is Bridge, not his real name."

"He won't tell us his real name," Molly explained. "I won't try with him either. All the boys in this program are losers or mysterious secret keepers who don't let anyone near them."

"Then I guess I will fit in then," I said under my breath, but I think the twins heard me, because they slide back into their seats after that.

The ride was long, and the other four girls hadn't spoken to me much since they introduced themselves. This gave me enough time to talk to Rikki and Cleo over text messages. When I had last seen them, we were hiding from the moon at Cleo's place, father and sister being out of the house and everything. Lewis and Zane were there, and the whole night was like a big good-bye party to me, besides the fact that I don't think Cleo remembers exactly what she did.

Now it was like they were telling me fairy tale stories. I hated being left out of all the fun they were having over brake. They were telling me things, like the Juice Net Café had closed, they had seen some new girls hanging around the beach, some boys were being obnoxious jerks to the tourist girls and how they were messing with them to teach them a lesion. It was funny to hear about, but it just made me want to be there with them.

It was dark by the time we made it to the hotel. The four girls were waiting for me after I had exited the bus. Molly and Jane stood on one side of me Lilly and Rose on the other.

"Hey, Emma, we just wanted to remind you, the girls group meets at two in my room every day. We sort of have this club going and we would like it if you were there," Molly explained. 'I'm the leader."

"Ok I guess I will be there," I said before turning and walking up to where the director and my father's boss were giving everyone their room keys. Did I tell you everyone gets their own room if you are over the age of 12? Well they do.

My room was nice, for a hotel room. It was also were I would spend the rest of the week. I could hear others outside, just some more of the 15 kids that were staying with us in this program. I knew now, standing here, that this was my life, and I would have to live it out as best I could till I could get back to the only place I was safe. Who knew how hard that would be.


	2. Zaneyans Unite

**Emma's Story **

**Chapter 2: Zaneyans Unite **

The morning went by slow. We had breakfast, listened to the director talk and picked what we would do the two days we weren't in school and after the four hours a day we were. Lilly and Rose seemed to pick anything I did. Jane stayed closer to Molly throughout the day. The boys were always together. I kept my eyes on both Luke and Bridge, which wasn't hard. They were also never apart for each other.

At two I walked down the hall to the room Molly had specified was hers. As I was about to knock, Jane came out of her room.

"Hey, you're coming," Jane said happily.

"Yeah, thought it would be more fun than sitting alone in my room," I said as Molly opened the door, reveling her neat room and the twins sitting in it.

Molly showed us in and we sat down on the bed next to the twins. Before anyone else could talk, Molly stood up in front of the group and announced, "Ok, girls, we need to show our newbie, Emma here, how it's done. Jane do you want to explain what we are all doing here?"

"We're here to follow everything Zane Bennett does from a far," Jane admitted with a creepy smile.

I was taken aback. There was an entire club dedicated to parsing my best friend's boyfriend. Now that was just wrong on so many leaves.

"Right, so Zaneyans, we are here to find out what Zane is up to now," Molly called out. I tried to hold in a laugh. "So what do we got?"

As Lilly and Rose gave reports on Zane, I quickly pulled out my phone and texted Rikki as quick and silent as I could. Luckily, no one noticed. Then while Molly was summing the others findings up I got a text back.

"I know I'm new," I started before Molly could move to another topic, "But can I put some knowledge I have gotten up on the table?"

"Why not. You're a part of this club too," Molly said egger to hear anything I had.

"Ok, I have word from a reliable source that at this very moment Zane is riding his dirt bike with his friend Nate," I said smugly as everyone else's jags dropped.

"How do you know that?" Jane asked in shock.

"I have a reliable source, some friends back home and I use to hang out with Zane quiet a lot," I said thinking by hang out I mean be tracked down, then found to be lost and now put up with because Rikki likes him. But I wasn't about to add the whole story.

"You know Zane?" Molly asked in shock. "That's like… huge. We have seen him, heard about him, know everything about him, but we have never really met him."

"What's he like?" Lilly asked.

"Is he smart?" Rose asked not giving me anytime to answer Lilly's question.

"Does he have a girlfriend?" Jane asked getting closer to me as she spoke.

Molly didn't speak as the other girls asked questions and I stood there not answering, thinking getting the information from Rikki was a bad idea.

"Guys, I have an idea," Molly finally said, "Why doesn't Emma become the leader of the club?"

I was hoping no one would like the idea. I didn't want to lead a club that obsessed over my best friends boyfriend any more than I wanted to be a part of it. But everyone else in the room loved the idea. So it was settled. I was now the leader of the Zane club.

Time passed slowly after that. The girls followed me like I was some kind of mob leader. The boys watched intensively. At least one boy always had their eyes on us. Molly and Jane kept a more distant relationship than the twins, but I was still never alone for more than two minutes before one of them found me.

As our week came close to an end, I had learned some intrusting things about the people I was hanging out with. For one Jane and Molly had never been apart from each other since they meet. The twins were the closest to the Carlton boys, Bridge and Max, and still didn't know Bridge's real name. Bridge is almost as secretive from his family as I am. Luke and Page Ren had no blood relation to Lilly and Rose Ren. Jane Potter was twins with Sam Potter, not hard to figure out with the similarities in looks. Jane, Sam, and their brother Justin were just as secretive towards us as Bridge and myself. Molly's sister, Marcy Stain, had a crush on my brother. Molly hated to be around people for too long. And the scariest of all, the boys were on an obsessive mermaid hunt whenever we were close to any kind of water.

On our way out of the first hotel, I bumped into (literally) Bridge carrying his bag and his brother's. We both were knocked to the ground and both of our backpacks unsnapped.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Emma," Bridge said as he set the suitcases down and started going through the things that had fallen out of our bags.

"It's ok," I said as I quickly pulled anything that was mine back into my bag.

We work quickly, me having things I didn't want him to see. My photo book was sitting turned to the page were I put every picture of me, Rikki, and Cleo not as mermaids. I caught a lucky break with that one.

"Are these your friends?" Bridge asked handing the book back to me.

I took it quickly, before he turned the page, and said, "Yeah,"

He looked up at me as we stood up. Taking the suitcases again he said, "I had two friends back in my old town too. They mean everything to me. They kept my every secret."

"I know what that feels like," I said as we made it to the bus. I looked down at the photo book I had yet to put back in my bag. "You don't find many people you can trust that way."

"Yeah, you don't," he said as he handed his bag to the driver and boarded the bus.

In more ways than one, Bridge reminded me of Rikki, secretive, shy, and yet very open. He gave me this feeling like I could trust him with anything, and as soon as I did, he would turn me down and hurt me. All I was really sure of him was, Bridge was different, and I like that.


	3. The Future

**Emma's Story **

**Chapter 3: The Future **

Our next stop was a small town in India. Since it was so small, all the girls had a room and all the boys had a room. The Hotel only had twenty rooms and two party rooms. The girls were in the bigger party room, boys in the smaller right next door.

I loved the front room of the hotel. It was peaceful. There was a small water fall and many plants. I just loved to sit and read or text the girls. I could see the twins talking with their step-sister, Page. Molly and Jane were across the way talking. I could see Bridge sitting alone reading a book.

I felt my side vibrate. I picked up my phone and read the text from Cleo, "Just talk 2 him. Ull feel better when u do."

I looked over to Bridge and he caught me looking. I smiled and waved. He started towards me. I texted Cleo back quick and hid my phone. He was right in front of me now.

"Hey, Emma," He said with a smile.

"Hey," I said pulling my book form the other side of the bench. He sat down.

"What are you reading," He asked pointing to my book. I flipped it in my hand and showed him the cover. It had a redheaded mermaid who looked scared on the left, then a line and another redheaded girl on the left. The title was The Underwater Life of (get this) Emma and Cleo. 

"So it's a book about you," He said with a small laugh. I didn't laugh, but tried to smile. Man was Cleo wrong. Then he said, "I like reading mermaid books to." He showed me a mermaid book had already read, it was so fake. "But I don't like this one much."

I smiled. Getting caught up in the moment, I dropped my book on the floor and my bookmark, which was a picture of my recently Ex-boyfriend, Ash.

"Who's this?" Bridge asked picking up the photo.

"No one," I said taking the photo from him, "He was my boyfriend, then we both moved so we broke it off." I shrugged, trying to seem like I had nothing to hide, when I had the world to hide.

"Really," He asked giving me a look.

I nodded placing the picture back in my book. Then I stood up and started to walk out saying, "I have to go."

As I'm walking back to the party room, I bump into this woman who was coming out of the hallway. She had dark black hair, and was wearing a very lacy purple dress. She caught my hand and held it for a second. Then she gasped when she let go.

"You are so close to the magical world." She said it more as a statement then as a question.

"What?" I asked not sure what else to say.

"Oh, I'm sorry," She started, getting out of some sort of daze. "I'm Cary Dean. I live not too far from here. I do psychic readings here on Mondays. And your name is…"

"Emma," I said shocked. "Psychic readings, like spirits and the future."

"Yes, and I'm sorry for scaring you," She said. "I just got this powerful feeling when we touched. Usually happens with other psychics. Are you…"

"No," I said just a bit too quickly, "I have to go."

I tried to started back down to the room, but the woman stopped me. "Please let me give you a reading."

I didn't exactly know what to say, so I just let her take me to the room she did her readings in. I knew the second she pulled me in the room, she was the real deal and would find me out quickly.

Cary sat me down at a table and took a seat across from me. She took my palm and held it for what felt like forever. Then she let go and looked me in the eye. She had a weird expression and I just knew she knew what I was.

"I've never gotten someone like this," She whispered. "I see fish and water and the moon. Usually I see boyfriends or friends or family. What are you?"

Her question knocked me out of it for a second, but I was back quick and shook my head. "I'm human, a girl."

"No, no," She said as if she knew I was lying write away. "Let me do this one quick thing." Then she walked out of the room.

I sat there looking around for a while. I didn't like being with her much. She was going to find me out, talk to my parents, get me locked up. How in the world did I get myself in this position. When Cary came back she had a clear crystal ball, and I was thinking, is she for real?

"This is this oldest form and no one really believes your real if you use it. But I need to on you," She said placing the ball in front of us.

She moved her hands around the ball all psychic like and started to look interestingly in the ball. She gasped at what she saw. She looked up at me, I looked down.

"I see an island," She started, "You are with two other girls, a blond and brunette. You are surprised to see the blond, but not the brunette, you know her, and she lied to you."

I was shock. Island, brunette, Cleo and Mako, but why wouldn't I know the other blond, I knew Rikki. But maybe it wasn't Rikki. I looked up, and Cary was lost in the ball again.

"Now I see initials, RC." She started. "This is a person who will surprise you. Now there is a first name, R.I.K.K.I or is it spelled R.I.C.K.Y, it's blurry. It could be both."

Rikki, surprise me, not surprising. But Ricky, who was that. She did say it was blurry. RC would definitely be Rikki Chadwick in my life. So what now my friends are lying to me and surprising me. What's next?

"It's changing," She said moving her hands around some more, "There is the sign of danger, the full moon, a boy… no three boys… four, three blond, one dark hair. And there are three other girls. You are on an island. Your crying and hugging the brunette from before. Someone's gotten hurt, or died." 


	4. Distracted

**Emma's Story **

**Chapter 4: Distracted **

I didn't know what to do after that. For about the next few weeks, two more towns, I was half absent. Rikki and Cleo stopped texting me, something I would've wondered about if I wasn't so distracted. Something I would have stopped and thought about. I couldn't even tell if they stopped texting me or if I stopped texting them.

There was little things I remembered. Molly and Jane had talked to the psychic too. She told them they would both fall in love with someone they were close to. The next week Molly and Mark started to date. Not two days later, Jane was caught kissing Luke. The twins were upset and the Zane Club broke up. Now I'm holding two separate meetings each day.

In one of those meetings, Lilly and Rose had gotten into talking about Luke. I had a feeling this had more to do with their friend liking their step brother. Lilly seemed really upset by the turn of events.

"I just knew this was going to happen," She had told me when it was just us two. "I had a dream, and I saw them together."

We were in my room. Rose had been on Page duty, not that she was any younger than Elliot or the other kids. Page was just a bit more distant. Elliot had told me this once.

"Please, Emma, I'm not lying and I'm not crazy," Lilly had continued. "It's just… I've been feeling like someone is showing me what is going to happen, most things not to my benefit. Still there are the good things I see and they happen, like you."

While Lilly talked, I had the same feeling I had when I talked to the psychic. She was special and she would find out about me. The only difference was, Lilly wasn't the psychic. I had talked to Rose alone, who said she felt normal and fine. I still wondered.

Lilly and Rose were not the only ones I wondered about. Bridge was still a wonder. He was always were I was, which might not seem too bad, except he was showing up where no one else would, like a privet beach. I tried to keep my eyes on Bridge, but everything kept getting in the way.

I finally admitted to myself I was getting distracted when my phone buzzed, as Lewis set up for Rikki, Cleo and me, to tell me it was a full moon that night. Usually the little reminder was unneeded, for I would have been worrying for days ahead of time, but this time it was a life saver.

That night I stayed locked up in my room. Things seemed normal, except that I got no calls from anyone. That made me worry about my friends, for the quickest second.

Days later in another town, closer to the ocean, which wasn't hard from the last place in the dessert, Bridge and I were talking. He had mentioned something I was curious about. Whenever we talked, he would always mention his childhood in Ireland. It was intrusting and different.

"Hey," He had said, as he did when he wanted to talk to me. "You seem very distant sometimes, you know that."

I looked up from the book I was reading at the time and said, "Is that good or bad."

"Different," He answered. "And I don't know who else to talk to. You know it's been strange since… well let's just say people got more distant from each other."

"Mark not talking to you either?" I had asked with a laugh, Bridge didn't seem like laughing.

"Emma, I just wanted to ask you something," He had said. I looked into his deep blue eyes and nodded for him to continue. But he didn't, because Lilly was at me in the same second.

"Emma, I really need you," She said pulling my arm. "Now it's important."

I let Lilly drag me off as I said, "Tomorrow, Bridge, meet me before we get on the bus."

He had looked disappointed, but agreed. Which was good, because Lilly was pulling me back to a secret room I had found when I was walking too close to the pool. Apparently it wasn't as secret as I thought.

In the room, I could see fear in Lilly's eyes. She flicked a switch, one I had not noticed the first time, and the lights came on. She didn't talk, but started going through a box of things till she found a small diary like book.

"I'm a witch," She finally said handing me the book. "The younger twin's in my family are witches, my grandmother, my aunt, my cousin and me. I'm not suppose to tell anyone so swear you won't tell, not even Rose."

"I swear," I said, "A witch, like with spells?"

"Yep, and I can see the future through dreams," Lilly said, "That's like my special talent."

"Wow, Lil, that's so cool," I said, "and I love that you trust me so much to tell me."

At that moment, Lilly looked away from me and whispered, "You're the only one here I don't know anything about. That means you know how to keep a secret, and Grandma said I needed a good friend, since I can't talk to my mother."

I smiled at her when she looked back at me and said, "Lilly, you can always trust me."

"How can I tell, other than if my secret gets out?" Lilly asked looking me in the eye. Something in that moment made me want to tell Lilly everything about me. I knew now she would find out sooner or later, so why not sooner, and if I can no longer talk to Cleo and Rikki, I would need someone.

Lilly kept her eyes on me. I took a deep breath and said, "Lilly, you can trust me because I have my own secret… I'm a mermaid."

Lilly was quiet for a second. Everything in the closet was still. Then Lilly braced me in a hug and whispered in my ear, "Your secret is safe with me, as long as mine is with you."

I continued to hug her as I said, "I can keep a secret, well."

And that was that, Lilly and I were best friends from then on. We trusted each other so well, and eventually we just kind of had this break from the other girls. Later Lilly and Rose forgave Jane and our Zane club meetings were the only time all five of us were together.

I never did figure out what Bridge was trying to tell me, but I knew we would talk again, then I will bring it up, maybe.


	5. Boys and Beaches

**Emma's Story **

**Chapter 5: Boys and Beaches **

We were in Japan. It was the one place I found most enjoyable. There were many small islands just far enough off the coast nobody ever went to them. I had been through the water so many times by the third day, there was nothing I hadn't seen. I had even see a giant squid around one of the smallest of islands. With all the islands and open water, I was beginning to think of places I would want to live when I was a bit older.

One afternoon, just before the sun went down, I was hiding out on my favorite of the islands. I like this one the most because it was the farthest from the mainland and easy to get to from the hotel we were staying at. As I sat, thinking I was alone, I heard my name being called multiple times by a very familiar voice. I turned around to find Lilly running towards me holding a book in one hand and something that looked like a stick in the other.

"Lilly, how did you get here, and what's wrong?" I asked standing up to meet her.

"Magic," Lilly said as if it was the most obvious answer. "And it's Page. No one can find her anywhere. And we've had everyone looking. Emma, she's gone. I haven't told my mother or step-father yet, but if she doesn't show up soon, they'll find out."

"Lil, we'll find Page. It's going to be ok," I said knowing how she felt. I hated that feeling when Elliot was missing and I had to lie to my parents about it, not that I hadn't lied to my parents before then. It was just scary to think that your sibling, under your watch, was gone. I did owe it to Rikki for remembering something he said and finding him, even if it was her fault he was gone.

As we walked back to the other side of the island to get back to the mainland, I heard something I was pretty sure I wouldn't. It was footsteps, coming towards us. I pulled Lilly quickly back into the small forest that was more like ten trees surrounded by bushes. Peering over the bush we were behind, I could just make out the outfit the person was wearing and the skin color they had.

"It's someone from our group," I said remembering the silly uniform they made us wear when in what they called school.

"It's either Sam or Bridge," Lilly whispered. "Pale skin, guys shorts."

I nodded as I watched. The boy moved farther from us and we moved up just enough to see his hair, and we both looked at each other after that. It was Bridge. He was walking just far enough from the water that he was not getting wet. He took a turn and started for the other side of the island, and out of our sight.

"How did he get here?" Lilly asked as we came out of our hiding spot.

"A boat, a friend, there are a lot of ways," I said not wanting to put the pieces that I had together. "We need to get back, find Page."

Lilly nodded and opened her book. She said a few words I couldn't understand, swung the stick, and the next thing I knew, we were on the mainland behind the hotel. I watched her as she collected her things and started back to the hotel.

"I could have easily gotten here by myself," I said following her.

"I know, this was just more fun for me," Lilly said as we entered the lobby.

In the lobby, we found Molly, Marcy, and Rose talking by the fountain. Mark and Lucy were on the other side of the lobby, obviously trying to stay away from the three girls. Usually it would have been the only fun we could have in this group to figure out why Mark and Lucy wanted nothing to do with Molly, his girlfriend, Marcy and Rose, but we had to find Page.

Running past the lobby, we entered the activities hall. This was a hall put up for many activities, but was actually very empty most the time, even from people not in our group. We looked in every room, knowing where ever Page was, she would be alone. Once we got to the end of the hall, we found the door open. This door only lead to the garden in the back. I had seen the garden, it was nothing special, but it was worth a shot to look for Page there.

As soon as we ran out, I knew something was different from the first time I had gone out there. The flowers were growing an colorful. Everything looked alive. Looking around, I caught something that seemed great, a bit of a light green dress hanging from one of the trees.

"Page, what are you doing climbing trees?" Lilly asked as we circled around the tree to find Page wasn't in the tree, she was flying, with little fairy wings.

"I can explain," She stared coming down to the ground slowly. Her shinny black hair was still blowing in the wind as she landed.

"No need, I can see perfectly," I said taking her by the shoulder. "You're a fairy."

She looked scared, but nodded anyway. While she was on the ground, her green dress changed to her uniform, plaid skirt, button up blouse, black Mary-Jane's. Her wings disappeared almost as fast as my tail appeared when I was wet.

"This group is really turning into a world of magic," Lilly commented getting a small laugh from me and a confused look from Page.

"Page, we can keep secrets," I said slowly to her. "You are safe with your witchy sister and me, the girl from the sea."

Page gasped and said, "Lilly's a witch, what about Rose?"

"Nope, Rosie is just a girl whom has the witch twin gene, but only the younger twin has it show," Lilly explained to Page. "And Em here, is a mermaid."

Page smiled to hear these things. We walked back inside, together in a line. My magical world was progressing more than I thought it would, and I still hadn't heard from Cleo or Rikki in a long time.

That night I sat on the regular beach by the hotel reading a fairy book I had picked up from the hotel library. With the few hotel lights, and the moon a crescent, things seemed peaceful. Not many were around, since it was a much dark night than usual.

Just then I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see Bridge standing there. He smiled as he sat down next to me. He took a look at my book and said, "What now your into fairies? What happened to the mermaids?"

"They found true love under the sea," I joked putting the book down. "You know you never asked me your question."

"Oh, yeah, it was nothing," He started. "It doesn't matter anymore."

I nodded and turned my gaze back to the ocean and the stars. I felt Bridge move just a bit closer to me, but I didn't say anything. It was a nice night, and Bridge was a nice guy. I wished right then that I was never to leave Japan, or Bridge. But things were just worming up with the little Page news.


	6. Tiny Trips

**Emma's Story **

**Chapter 6: Tiny Trips **

Field trips weren't taken like they were back home, since we were pretty much on one big field trip. So that morning went like any other. We were in Greece, and the water was great. I would meet Lilly and Page down by the beach every morning after my swim and before our school. Then we would walk to where ever they decided the school room would be, or today, the parking lot, in our silly uniforms.

Waiting for a field trip bus at normal school, would be like the best thing ever. Here it was like punishment, when we could be sleeping in, swimming, flying, practicing magic. But we weren't. We were waiting for a bus that would take us to the scientific museum, the only museum we hadn't seen yet in Greece.

"Hey Emma," I head behind me. I spun around to find Bridge standing there with his school bag and a book in his hand. "I… just read this book. It's a bit more, real, if you know what I mean." He handed me the book. It was called "Down Under."

"Thanks, Bridge," I said, trying to smile.

He laughed. "You know I never got that name."

"What do you mean?" I asked putting the book in my bag.

"Well some girl, Ellen, Ella, Bella, something like that, started calling me that some time ago, and everyone's called me that since." Bridge explained. "I guess it just stuck, and it's cooler than my real name."

"What's your real name?" I asked, but I was too late, for at that moment the attendant called for everyone to get on the bus, and he left.

I boarded the bus behind Page and Lilly, whom were talking about something I missed. The entire ride to the museum was a blur to me. I was too busy thinking about Bridge. He lets me in, and then just closes up. So why was I so attracted to him? Because I was so stuck in my thoughts, when I heard the guide say, "And we'll meet a mermaid." I almost jumped out of my seat.

"Lilly," I whispered as we were lined up in front of the museum. "I missed like everything of that last speech."

"Well you obviously caught the mermaid part, you almost hit your head on the top of the bus," Lilly whispered back with a small giggle.

"She is some girl they have been experimenting on since she was… well a baby or something. They changed her so they could study her. She was pretty much sold as a baby to be a lab child. But they say the experiments were inconclusive, since she isn't as strong as the first one they found in Queens, Australia 50 years before hand. Her name was Julia," Page explained. "But she got away."

Lilly and I stared at her for a second before Lilly asked, "And your 13." Page nodded.

"They had Julia," was my only response. I thought of Mrs. Chatom, the woman who helped me and my friends through everything. To think there was something about her friend that I was leaning now was painful, because it meant she was keeping secrets.

"Keep up and keep quiet," The guide called back to us. We closed our moths and started to walk.

After a long boring tour of the entire building, we entered a stadium like area. A scientist was standing at the front holding everyone's attention. He was an older man with gray hair and wore a white lab coat. As soon as everyone was in their seats he started to talk.

"Thank you everyone for being here today," He started. "I'm Doctor Smith and today I will be showing you the little girl I call my daughter, Margo. She is a very interesting little girl, for she has a special gift. Margo is a mermaid."

There was commotion all over the stadium. I looked over to Lilly, who shrugged. I lowered my head.

Once the place got quiet again, a girl, who looked no older than 14, walked out on the stage. She had long blond hair and wore a short orange halter dress. She was the mermaid.

"Margo," Dr. Smith looked to the girl. "Why don't you show the audience your little power."

Margo looked out to us. She looked scared, like she didn't know what was going to happen. She almost looked as if she was going to cry. I just wanted to get her away from here as soon as I could.

After taking a deep breath, Margo put her hand up just as I did. Everything on the table in front of her froze. She covered her face, I could even see signs of tears.

"Um… she's usually much better," Dr. Smith tried to explain as she ran away.

After the long speech, we were lead out into the hall where the guide told us we were free to check out any project we felt like. As Lilly and Page started off for one of the less confusing projects, I started down the hall in which I thought Margo would be, and sure enough, I found her.

Margo was in a large room, with Dr. Smith and another woman. They were yelling at her, she was crying. I slide the door open just enough so I could hear what they were saying.

"That was terrible. You have to get this right, tonight, or no dinner," The woman yelled.

"I can't, I just can't," Margo cried in a soft voice. "I can't do anything."

"Try," The woman called.

Margo had to crouch to get away from the whip she got. She then stood back up and stuck her hand out again. Nothing happened. Dr. Smith looked to the woman, who looked back at Margo, who was crying.

I knew she could work this way. She was putting no concentration in what she was doing, just what she would get out of it. I did the same thing months before and blew up a rubber penguin. I knew the stress she was under, just with friends, I could get over it. Margo couldn't.

So the next time she put her hand, so did I, and when she expected nothing to happen, the water froze, perfectly.

"That was great, Margo," Dr. Smith said hugging the girl, who was shocked.

After a few more testes, which I passed for her, Dr. Smith and the woman left. Margo was left alone. That's when I showed myself. Margo was scared and started to pull back. I stepped forward.

"It's ok," I said. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Emma. I want to help."

She stopped and let me take her by the hands after that. They were freezing. I looked her in the eyes and whispered, "Your skin is so cold."

"They say it's a symptom, like the tail," Margo explained.

"But what do they really know?" I asked as I started to pock around in my bag. "They have you and that's it. Do you have friends? Anyone your age that you know?"

"There's Zora and Fae," She answered. "But I haven't seen them since we changed when we where seven."

While I listened to her, I pulled out a container with small candy like objects in it. I took three out and gave them to her. She looked at me like I was crazy.

"Eat them, they'll help," I said putting the container back in my bag. "So you don't know where they are now?"

"Nope, I have no one," Margo explained after she had eaten the candies.

"Then we have a lot to talk about," I said right before I started to explain everything and listened to her questions and stories. Right before I left, I gave her my number and my old phone, which my parents were stupid enough to keep in service and I was stupid enough to still carry it around. Then she thanked me and we went our spate ways.


	7. Lunch and a Laugh

**Emma's Story**

**Chapter 7: Lunch and a Laugh **

Rain. Oh how I hated the rain, for obvious reasons. Rain was water falling from the sky at a quick rate, a mermaid's worst nightmare. So to be in the one place rain fell the most, well how do you think I felt.

We were in Costa Rica, a land of rain forests and humidity. In other words, we were staying on a peninsula of water, water, and yes, more water. And yet water was not what this land was known for. How funny is that?

There was only one way to get to this peninsula we were staying on. How? Well by boat, the vehicle that travels on water. And not a comfy cruise ship, I might add. We were packed 7 to a small boat that I was afraid was not ocean safe. And yes it was very wet.

Luckily the boat assignments went like this; first 2 boats were the parents, 3rd boat was Molly and Marcy Stain, Jane Justin and Sam Potter, and Mark and Lucy Trade, 4th boat was The Ren family, Elliot, and last Bridge and Max Carlton. I was alone with a hot Spanish speaking boat boy and the luggage. If I wasn't a fish, this would still be luck.

"Cabalgo… con… él otros," I said with my very limited amount of Spanish speaking skills.

"Muy bien," He answered back, which I understood well.

Looking back, I made sure I was alone before diving in the water and finding the last boat to follow to the peninsula we would be staying on. I loved the water here, there were so many different kinds of fish, of all colors. I kept a close eye on the boat I was following. When it docked on a small beach, I was even luckier to find a more privet beach not too far away.

It didn't take me long to catch up with everyone at the hotel. There was only one decent one on the whole peninsula. Right before I walked in, I bumped into Bridge, really needed to stop do that.

"Sorry," He said kind of softly.

Before I could react or say anything, Elliot ran out of the hotel holding two room keys and my backpack.

"Mom told me to give you these things," He said handing me my things. "So how was your ride with Bridge?"

"What?" I asked, not know that I was riding with Bridge.

"Great, right Emma." Bridge was giving me a look, one that said trust me, do as I say and you won't get hurt.

"That was right, our captain knew a lot about the area. Too bad he spoke Spanish," I said with a laugh, just to sell it for my brother. I knew how to sell things to him. I'd been selling a lot to him for 2 years now. And as he always did, Elliot bought it.

After Elliot was gone, I turned to Bridge. "You weren't on my boat," I said mater-a-factly. Even though I wasn't on the boat, I knew who was, and it wasn't Bridge.

"I know, thanks for the save, though," He said with a smile. "I owe you."

"Yep, and you owe me an explanation," I said in my, give-me-what-I-want-and-I-won't-hurt-you voice.

"Fine, tomorrow, while everyone is searching the ocean for fish, we will talk," Bridge said with a smile. "I know you're not much a swimmer, anymore."

I watched as Bridge started down the outside hallway to a door that must lead to his room. When he was out of sight, I was stopped again by two Ren girls who seem to always know where I was.

"What did Bridge want," Lilly asked, obviously very curious to see why he was talking to me again.

"To cover for him," I said with my I'm-sure-he's-up-to-something voice. "Bridge wanted me to tell Elliot that he was riding in the luggage boat with me.

"But you weren't even in the luggage boat," Page pointed out.

"And apparently he didn't know that," I said looking back at the two girls.

"He is hiding something," Lilly said with wondering eyes.

"Yeah, and I'm going to find out what," I said giving Lilly and Page the I'm-leaving look, before walking away to my room.

The next day, after everyone else left for the ocean, I caught up with Bridge by the beach. He was standing where the grass of a nearby soccer field and the sand of the beach met. I was glad he chose to meet so high on the beach, for the tide could get pretty high up the small beach.

"So you came," Bridge asked me. "didn't think you would come."

"Of course, I'm not passing up the opportunity to finally hear your excuse for something," I said as I walked up to him. "I'm running out of them."

Bridge laughed as he started walking down the beach. I followed closely behind as he kicked a piece of drift wood with him. "Ok, you must know there is little I can tell you. Do you respect that?"

"As long as you understand that there is a lot that I can't tell you," I answered. "Just go and I'll try to believe you."

Bridge stopped quickly and looked back at me. I gave him a quick smile before I started ahead of him. He ran behind me to catch up, and then we were standing side-by-side not inches apart. I stepped away from him. As he started to confess, or lie some more, about where he was on the boat ride over here.

"Look, I found another way over here," Bridge said slowly.

"And you didn't share it with me," I questioned, just wanting to see how far I could get him to go.

"I don't think you would have been able to go my special way," He answered. "It's not really a comfy way to travel."

"Well anything would have been better than that boat," I said, trying to complain about a ride I didn't take. It wasn't working well.

Bridge stopped and pulled my arm so I would stop with him. "Emma please believe me, if I thought you could handle this, I would tell you. But I just can't."

That got me upset, "Handle it, you're not tell me your secret because you don't think I could handle it. Well let's get one thing strait, I could handle it way better than you could. I have been living with a secret in a family that won't leave you alone till they know you are telling the truth. If you don't call that handling it, then I don't know what you would."

After that blow up, I started back for the hotel and left Bridge standing there in the sand with a dumb found look on his face.


	8. Countryvile

**Emma's Story**

**Chapter 8: Country-vile**

There was only one thing I hated more than rain, and it was the lack of water. Ever since I was a kid, even, I had always stayed somewhere that had at least a pool. But out here in Who-Knows-Where, run down, country-vile, the most water was a small stream that ran through, well everywhere.

The parents got the luxury of staying in the motel, while us "kids" were to experience everything while staying with over peppy locals. There were about six of us to a house. Elliot and I were staying with, Lilly, Page, Max, and of course Bridge. Jane, Justin, Sam, Mark, Lucy, and Rose were in another house. Which left Molly, Marcy and, Luke together.

The house I was in was small. I had to actually share a bed with Lilly and Page. Lying there in the night, listening to the complain, it reminded me of when I was lying in my bed with Rikki and Cleo. We were pretending to be sick, to get out of going out in the rain. But it didn't turn out well when we were put in quarantine. Then Lewis came, and Cleo's mom put wet towels on our heads and we became mermaids in the bed. They had nothing to complain about.

"Scoot over, Lilly," Page whined. "Your squishing me."

"Page, where exactly am I suppose to scoot, on to the floor?" Lilly shot back.

"Come on, stop fighting about this," I cried, "Trust me this is nothing. imagine if we all had tails."

Page and Lilly looked over to me. "Yeah, you can't complain about being squished in a bed, without having been in one, as a mermaid, with two other mermaids next to you."

"How big was the bed?" Page asked.

"Smaller than this queen, I can tell you that," I said, "Full sized."

There was no more complaining after that. I didn't get much sleep though. Upstairs I could hear Max and Elliot fighting about who was on the floor and who got the bed as Bridge was yelling at them to just get along and go to sleep. In the next room, the woman who own the house talked in her sleep. I knew this would be a long stop.

The next morning, the woman who owned the house, Willow Kenly, had all of us prepare for a long hike. She said that we would be hiking up the mountain, to this spot we would have lunch, then hike back down, looking at country sites on the way. Our start time was early in the morning.

At the start of the hike, I tried to trail behind with Lilly so that I wouldn't run into Bridge, but that didn't last long because Page needed Lilly with her more than I did and I was left in the back alone. Bridge took this opportunity to talk to me again.

"I'm sorry for what I said before." He started. "It's not that you couldn't handle it, it's just that I need to be careful, understand?"

"I guess," I said slowly as I tried to avoided tripping over rocks and branches in the small section of woods. "You don't trust me. Far enough, I don't trust you."

"It's not that I don't trust you…" Bridge started, but stopped mid-sentence. "You don't trust me?"

"Don't take it personal," I said hopping over a branch then around a hole in the ground. "I don't trust a lot of people."

"That's comforting." Bridge was now trying to follow my steps, so he didn't fall as well. "I guess we are on the same page then."

I stopped for a secant and looked Bridge in the eyes. "I guess so." I said before I started to walk again, faster to catch up with the others.

Suddenly everyone came to a stop. Mrs. Kenly started to speak to us, "Ok, we are at Pine Roads Stream. We will have to cut through it to get to our picnic spot, so anyone who doesn't want their shoes to get wet might want to take them off."

I look out to the wide stream that lay in front of us. It was too wide to jump over, and too deep to walk through without getting your ankles wet. I turned my gaze to where Lilly was helping Page. I needed to come up with something quick.

"Is there any way around the stream?" I asked out of nowhere.

Everyone was looking at me. Elliot's eyes were full of questions. Bridge was almost as wondrous as my little brother.

"Well there is the road, but it's not deep if you can't swim," Mrs. Kenly said.

"No…. it's… a fear," I said thinking on my toes. "An accident I was in."

Mrs. Kenly sighed, "I don't want to send you up the road by yourself…"

"I'll go," Bridge volunteered as fast as he could. "I mean, I wouldn't want something bad to happen to Emma here. We'll walk up the road together."

Everyone was silent as Mrs. Kenly took this idea in. Then finally she agreed and Bridge and I were off to the road. Mrs. Kenly gave us directions up to the spot so we couldn't get lost. Then we started back through the woods and out onto the road.

Bridge kept instep behind me. It was almost like he was making sure I didn't fall or something. Before I knew it, we were walking side-by-side, so close we were almost touching.

"So… fear of water?" Bridge questioned once we had been on the road for a while.

"Yeah, boat wreck, was trapped on an island for a while," I said hoping he would drop it at that.

"And why did you get stuck?" Bridge asked, obviously not about to drop it.

"The girl I was with forgot to check the fuel level before going out to sea," I said quickly. "Why don't we talk about how fast you offered to come with me."

Bridge was silent for w while, I almost didn't think he would talk again, then he said slowly, "Afraid of water, like you, have been all my life. Long story, but ends with me almost drowning in the ocean."

I could tell there was something in his voice that was lying. I could tell he never drowned, and that he was hiding something bigger than a simple fear of water. But I wasn't ready to fight with him again, so I dropped it and we walked in silence the rest of the way.

_A/N: Pop Quiz: Here are three questions about H2o:Just Add water. If you answer them correctly, I will PM you a sneaky peek of the next chapter of Emma's Story. Just review the answers to this Chapter. _

_Why is Cleo feel she is not ready to have Sam around? A) She is not ready for a new mother B) She feels Sam is too pushy C) Sam is just another person she has to lie to D) Sam is not the person she thinks her dad should be with_

_In Episode 12, Who is Will surprised is a mermaid as well? A)Charlotte B)Cleo C) Emma D) Rikki _

_Why can't Cleo leave the café in Episode 16? A) She has to watch Kim B)Her father shows up C) Zane won't let her D) She can't go outside during a full moon _


	9. Evil RedHeads

**Emma's Story **

_A/N: Answers to the questions 1) C) Sam is just another person to lie to 2) D) Rikki 3) B) Her father shows Up. Good try to all that answered the questions. This is the last day of Spring Break for me, so I thought I would get this up before I become in over my head with homework, school, dance, and other afterschool things. _

**Chapter 9: Evil Red-heads **

I can get along with many people I don't like, for example Zane. I have been dealing with Zane for as long as I could remember. First as a annoyance, then my best friend's boyfriend, not as the obsession of every girl I can talk to. But there are still a few people who I cannot stand to even hear their names being said, for example Charlotte.

Charlotte was the last person I thought I would see again, after she mysteriously left town with her mother not a month before I left. But here I was, in Pairs, France and there she was standing not ten feet in front of me, smiling and waving as if we were best friends who hadn't seen each other in forever.

"Who's she?" Lilly asked, getting a quick glance at Charlotte as we stood in the hotel lobby waiting for room assignments.

I sighed and whispered, "Charlotte Watsford, a girl who use to live by me."

"So she's your friend?" Lilly asked.

"Absolutely not," I whispered back, "We had some… she was… she locked Cleo and me in a closet and sprayed water on us just so we won't ruin her precise surprise party."

Lilly was laughing a little as she asked, "So I'm guessing she knows."

"Oh she knows, she was, before we took it away from her," I explained right before Elliot came up with our room keys.

"Isn't that Charlotte?" He asked, knowing her from the few times she was at my house.

I nodded as I took the key he was handing to me. Then he raced off to catch up with Max.

I started towards the elevator, with Lilly close on my tail. I was trying to make it out of the lobby before Charlotte came over to me, not that I thought she would. Boy was I wrong. Standing next to the elevator, as I waited for it, Charlotte came away from her mother and started over to me and Lilly.

"Hey, Emma," She greeted. "Wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Yeah, I'm here with my father's work," I told her. "I wasn't expecting to see you either."

"Funny how things work out," She said with a smile and laugh. "Who's your friend?"

I looked over at Lilly, who seemed a bit confused standing there, "Um… this is Lilly Ren. Her parents work with mine."

"Yep, that's the only way to make friends in this program," Lilly joked. "And we have a club to get to." I knew what Lilly was trying to do, but I also knew Charlotte, and at that moment I didn't know who to be more mad at.

"What kind of club?" Charlotte asked, almost winking at me.

"It's nothing you would be interested in," I said with a smile, "Seriously nothing I'm that interested in either. Only something Rikki would be interested in." I really didn't know where I was going with all this babbling, but where ever it was, if Charlotte wasn't there, I would be good.

"Only Rikki, what is it like the Zane Bennett fan club?" Charlotte asked.

"Yes it is," Lilly said happily taking my hand as the elevator opened, "And our leader is late."

Charlotte followed us on to the elevator. Before the doors shut, Jane rushed to catch it as well. Her fire red hair was blowing back with the wind she created as she ran.

"Hey, guys, can you tell Molly I can't make it tonight. I'm grounded," She said in her most peppy way. "Justin is such a winner."

I laughed as I said sure, and hoping Charlotte wasn't going to ask about her as well. Lucky for me, mine and Lilly's floor was before hers and Jane's, so I was free. I jumped out of the elevator right as the door opened, with Lilly close behind me.

That night I was waiting for my parents and Elliot with both Lilly and Page. Page was going on about everything she had already seen in France by flight, and Lilly was pretending to listen. We were standing in front of the hotel's restaurant, away from people's natural view.

All of a sudden, Jane and Charlotte came up behind us and said, "Hello Emma."

I turned around to face them. They weren't alone. Justin and Sam were behind them. They were acting strange, like they weren't themselves. None of them moved as we all just stood there, not know what to say.

"What's up guys?" I asked.

"You are," Jane whispered. "Why did you do this to us, Lilly? This is all your fault."

Page and I looked to Lilly, who seemed very confused. "What do you mean? I didn't do anything to any of you."

"This was un-to your knowledge," Sam said standing right next to his sister now. Justin stayed back next to Charlotte, who I was still confused at why she was with them.

With that, Sam jumped forward and lunched himself at Lilly. Lilly pulled out her wand and cast a spell to suspend him in the air. No one seemed surprised.

Next, Jane jumped forward, again at Lilly, but was taken care of by Page. She lifted her arms in the air, and as she did, Jane moved through the air as well, just to be dropped again on a glass table.

Then Justin stepped forward, but I got to him before he could move. He was frozen in place and apparently not too happy about it.

After the Potters were defeated, Charlotte stepped forward with her hands crossed over her chest. She spoke quietly to me, "I don't want to hurt you, Emma. It's not you, or anyone like you I'm after." She looked to Page. "But because of you, I was hired for one reason, to ride the world of the witches."

"Because of me?" I questioned.

"Yes because of you," She repeated. "You and Rikki, and Cleo. You three took away my powers, and that is why I was recruited to do as I do now. I make my army, and send them after the witches, who happens to be your friend, Lilly, here."

"Your army?" Paged asked with more curiosity than the rest of us. Ah, the joys of being young and not hunted.

"My army, like these three here," Charlotte pointed to the Potters. "People close to my target, who by day are normal every day teens, but by night, get a small power and the knowledge of a fighter. Their powers get stronger as the moon fills up. Then on the night of a full moon… well let's just say, Emma's seen something like that already."

I just started at her. Just when you think someone can't get anymore evil, bam, they do.

"Charlotte," we hard being called.

"Sorry, got to get back to mommy," Charlotte said right before she left. After she was gone, it was like nothing had happened there. The Potters just got up, as if they were unharmed, and walked away.

"Wow, can you say evil red-head, much," Lilly whispered, disputed her total fear of the Potters now.

_A/N: Pop Quiz: Three more questions to get you another sneak peek. Here you go. _

_Where do Cleo and Rikki say Emma is during the 3__rd__ season? A) They don't say B) Boarding school with her brother C) Across the country with her grandmother D) traveling around the world with her family_

_What does Bella's father do for a living? A) Scientist B) School teacher C) Hotel management D) traveling sales man. _

_Why is Will such a threat in the beginning of the 3__rd__ season? A) He is always to close to the mermaid secret B) He doesn't like the girls C) He is a scientist D) He is too keen on Bella _


	10. The Potter Clan

**Emma's Story **

_A/N: The answers are, 1) D Traveling around the world with her family 2) C) Hotel Management 3) A) He is always too close to the mermaid secret Good job to all that answered the questions. Now on to the chapter, the only one taking place in the same place as the last. _

**Chapter 10: The Potter Clan **

"Emma, what are we going to do about this?" Lilly asked.

She was laying in my room, which was connected to hers. She had her two magic books out and the box her grandmother left her. We were pawing through it to see what it had on the side of protection from the witch hunters.

"We have three options, run away, hide, or keep looking through this stuff," I reminded her.

"Let's stick with three," Lilly said pulling the box closer to herself.

We spent a few minutes looking through the boxes before Page came bursting through the door. She had sheets and sheets of notes she had printed from the computer in the hotel library. Tossing them to me she said, "Ok, I have the dates of all the full moons here…"

"So do I," I confessed with a quick smile in Page's direction. "I have alerts set up on my phone, and every date posted on my calendar. I've also memorized most of them."

Page just looked at me like I was nuts. Even Lilly stopped what she was doing to look at me. "Is someone a little obsessed?" She asked.

"Um… no, it's a long, mermaid related, story," I said hoping they would drop the subject quick. "Full moon pulse mermaid equals bad." I tried to explain when they still looked confused.

There was a minute of silence, Lilly started to pock through the book some more. Page had her eye on me. Finally Lilly called, "Got it." Which made everyone stop in their tracks. "This is a spell for a protection necklace. It will keep me protected from the witch hunters until the full moon, when both theirs and my powers are increased."

"Funny how much the moon likes to play with powers," I said with a smile pulling the book over so I could read it. "Ok, this looks doable."

"Yeah, just a little crystal I would wear around my neck," Lilly said jumping up to be behind me. "And I could do this spell fast."

"Good, cause full moon is in a week," Page informed us. Lilly looked up at her.

"She's right," I started, "We will be in Ireland by then. And until then, we will have the Potters on our case every night."

After Lilly had preformed the spell and was wearing the crystal, we started down to the lobby of the hotel, to try and look as if we were doing nothing special. Page ran off with Marcy and Lucy as soon as they were spotted. Lilly and I took a seat at one of the tables in the café they had. We sat close to Bridge and Mark, whom were discussing some sort of club stuff. We sat quiet and listened in.

"I'm telling you, Bridge man, Sam and Jane were not themselves," Mark whispered. "I think it's magic."

"Come on, Mark," Bridge whispered back. "Just because Jane and Sam seem to, well not fight, doesn't mean they are being controlled by magic."

"If you knew Jane and Sam as I did, you would believe," Mark protested. "All I'm saying is, hit them with the three factors, one, separation for others, two, strange loss of interest at the most random times, and three, repelled from things they use to love, such as say perfumes or gems, or even more simple things like water or heights."

Emma calculated all three of those factors. All three applied to her. They also applied to Lilly and sometimes Page. She was just glad he was throwing them on the Potters and not any of them.

"Dude, sure, those factors mean magic, but they have to have all three," Bridge whispered. "Some of those apply to me and even you."

Mark looked around the café, scanning over the table Lilly and I were at. "I guess you are right. I mean even Emma and Lilly have some of those factors."

Taking a deep inhale, I waited for him to say we weren't magic, but he never did. The boys left after that. I looked to Lilly who whispered, "We have to take away at least one of those factors."

I nodded looking around the café, sitting in the other corner was Molly and Rose, most likely talking about Zane. I pointed over to them, and Lilly nodded. We made our way over to the two girls.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked as Lilly and I pulled up two chairs.

"Not, much," Rose answered. "We were just discussing all we will have to do when we get to Zane's town?"

"Zane's town?" I questioned, forgetting that we would be making that stop by my home town in a few months. "Oh, my home town, yeah, there is a lot to do there."

Molly smiled, "That's right, you use to live with Zane. Oh he is probably the best, most assume guy ever, right."

"If you like guys that don't care whether you are safe or not, as long as they get their way," I mumbled. "Zane is…. well….. let's just say, I would give him up in a heartbeat."

Molly looked surprised. Rose looked to Lilly and asked, "What about you, sis? Ready to see Zane Bennett up close."

"I guess, but you can't really be too excited with someone you don't expect anything about," Lilly explained. "But meeting the boy all of you are obsessed over could be fun."

"Cool," Molly said before she and Rose pulled their notebooks back towards them and walked off.

As soon as they were gone, I started to laugh under my breath. I could just see those girls meeting Zane, then Rikki.

"What's so funny?" Lilly asked once she had caught me laughing.

"Oh, I can just see those girls making total fools of themselves for a guy who wouldn't give them the time of day," I explained with another laugh.

_A/N: Pop quiz: answered the questions get the sneak peek, got it: _

_Who was turned into a mermaid FIRST ? A) Emma B) Gracie C) Eva D) Louise _

_Who was turned into a mermaid LAST ? A) Charlotte B) Bella C)Eva D)Rikki _

_Who is the last mermaid MENTIONED in the show? A) Bella B) Gracie C) Eva D) Julia _


	11. RC

**Emma's Story **

_A/N: Answers to the questions: 1) C) Eva 2) A) Charlotte 3) C) Eva. Good job to all that tried the questions. Now on to this chapter, the only chapter being held while they are traveling one place to the next. _

**Chapter 11: RC **

I pulled my suitcase from the elevator, listening to my dad go on and on about some money things to my mother. Most of these things sounded good, or the parts I was actually listening to did. It sounded like we were better off now, and that we could be getting a large home just in time for me to go to college.

My parents handed Elliot and me a brown paper bag, our lunch for the trip and started off for their rented car as we started to the bus. Standing outside the bus was Lilly, waiting for me of course. I also caught sight of Bridge still standing by the door.

"You know Mark is on the bus," I joked as I passed.

"I know, I wanted to talk to you," Bridge said, stopping me from getting on the bus. "Can we sit together?"

I looked into Bridge's eyes and nodded. Then I looked to Lilly. "Is that ok, Lil?"

"That's fine by me," Lilly said. "I'll sit with Rose." She gave me a smile before she entered the bus.

I followed Bridge to the back of the bus. Everyone was staring as we sat next to each other. We gave them ten minutes to get bored with our silence before we started to talk, and even then it was nothing good, just "How yah been?" "good." "Do anything cool?" "No" "hear anything cool?" "No" I don't think that ride did much for us, for we didn't get anywhere either of us wanted to.

We gave each other the trip through the airport to take a break from each other and get our thoughts together before we sat together on the small privet jet we would take to Ireland. Luck for us, no one would care what we were talking about because our conversation on the bus was so boring. Even Lilly said she drowned out after awhile, and she is the closest friend I have in this group.

Getting on the plane, I found that Bridge had held the front two seat for us, no one sat in the front row. I realized then, he really want to talk now. And since the view was going to be all ocean until we reached Ireland, I guess it was ok by me.

Once in the air, and after the flight attendants had gone through, neither of us got anything, Bridge looked me in the eye and said, "I can't do this secret thing anymore."

"What did you realize I can handle it?" I asked in as loud of a voice I could without anyone hearing me.

"Ok, so I was wrong about that, but you have to believe me, this is a big part of my life and if it ever got out, I would be done for," He said lowering his voice to a level where I would have to lean in as much as I could to hear him.

"Bridge, you have to believe, I understand big. I understand whole life, dead if anyone knew, I understand," I said as low as he did and lowering my voice more as I said, "You can always trust me." I fumbled with the silver locket hanging around my neck, remembering it stood for trust back with my other friends.

"I wish I could believe you as easily as you want me too," Bridge said as quietly as I had said the last thing. His raised his voice very little as he said, "I just can't do this anymore. Emma, I feel alone amongst the group. I feel like I just can't do whatever anyone else can. And then you are there, always with me, not the others. You don't do everything I don't, do everything as I do it, secretively. And I feel I can trust you."

There was a pause. I didn't know what to say, but I didn't have time to think of something because then he said, "Then you run off with Lilly and sometimes Page. And I can't risk this too much, as I'm sure you understand."

"Bridge, if you aren't sure about telling me the big thing, do what I do," I told him when I was sure he wasn't going to talk anymore. "Tell me something small, something you don't care if it got out. If does, you can't trust me. If it doesn't, then you will know I can keep a secret."

He smiled at the idea. He looked me in the eyes and said softly, "You too. I know you are keeping something from me. If I tell you a small secret you do the same, we give it two days, then that night we meat on the beach, I know there is one right next to the hotel, and tell the big one."

I sighed, looking back at Lilly, whom was still getting pushed by Rose for not being around lately. I turned back to Bridge and nodded, "I'll do it. But if anyone knows, you will not get the big secret, I won't even come near you anymore."

"I get it," Bridge said, "You can trust me."

I took another deep breath, knowing I would regret this as soon as it was out of my mouth, but not having a choice on whether or not to tell. I looked him in the eyes as I said, "When we were in India a fortune teller got to me and told me someone I knew was going to get hurt, most likely when we are in Australia. I didn't want to tell anyone because, I kind of believed her."

"So what, when we get to Australia, are you going to find your friends and make sure no one gets hurt?" Bridge asked, in a completely serious tone.

I shrugged, "I just don't want anyone thinking I'm crazy because a fortune teller, who could have easily made everything up, had gotten to me."

He smiled, telling me silently that he understood what I was afeard of. Then he sighed and said, my turn, right?"

I nodded, getting myself ready to hear something about the mysterious Bridge Carlton. He wasn't talking and I was starting to wonder if he was going to go through with this. Then he took a deep breath. And said, "My real name is Ricky…"

_A/N: and Cliffhanger ha, ha, ok Pop Quiz Time You get the point now, 3 question with the right answers you get yourself a nice sneak Peek: _

_What passes Cleo's house in the harbor the most? A)A Speed Boat B) A Kayaker C) A surfer D) Nothing ever Passes Cleo's house in the harbor _

_Who has the biggest window in their room out of these four? A) Bella B)Emma C)Rikki D) Cleo _

_Who has the most siblings out of these four? A)Emma B) Cleo C) Lewis D) Rikki _


	12. The Fish is Out of The Bag

**Emma's Story **

_A/N: And the answers are, 1)B) __A Kayaker 2)D) Cleo 3)C)Lewis good job to all that tried. And for the story…_

**Chapter 12: The Fish is Out of The Bag **

I kept my distance from Bridge/Ricky after that plane ride. Lilly had questioned me about what we talked about, but I just pushed them all away, excusing myself early from dinner to hideout alone in my room. I guess my parents were worried about me, because they sent Elliot in not an hour later.

"Emma, mom said told me to see if everything was ok," He said when he walked into my room.

"Everything is fine, Elliot," I said as sweetly as I could manage. "I'm just… tried from travel." Like I hadn't used that one before on the trip. But it worked and Elliot left me alone after that, just before Lilly came in.

"You have to tell me what you two talked about, I'm your best friend," Lilly whined when I told her that I wasn't going to spill for the tenth time that night.

"Best friends keep secrets," I pointed out. "Trust me. Anyway I promised nothing would get out of our conversation. He is so close to trusting me, I don't want to blow it."

Lilly plopped herself on my bed and asked, "Why have you all of a sudden taken an interest in Bridge?"

I looked back to her, studying her every expression, "It's not all of a sudden, and it's not an interest. He's a friend and I'm about to learn more than anyone else. I want him to trust me."

"Because you like him," We heard Page sing from the door. "That's why you all of a sudden want to be with him all the time."

I turned to face her and said in my most defensive way, "I do not like… Bridge," hesitating a little too long before saying his name.

"Yeah like Marcy isn't falling all over Max and you're brother isn't following me around all the time," Page added. "And Lilly isn't keeping her eyes off of Mark."

"Page, leave," Lilly called as soon as her name was mentioned in her little love game calendar. I laughed my head off as Lilly pushed her step-sister out of the room.

"Now, on to a bigger note, Full Moon is in two days," Lilly reminded me. "What are we going to do about the Potters?"

"I'm working on that," I said sitting down next to Lilly on my bed. "So far all I have is lock you up with me. We could both stay here."

"Yeah, like that Potters won't find me here," Lilly reminded me. "They want to kill me. I think if they knew where I was, then we would be in trouble with them."

I sighed, thinking of all the problems I was going through now. The days went by slowly, everything still running through my head and the fact that Bridge or Ricky was soon going to know who I really was. There was no going back as soon as he knew the truth. The time came near so quick and before I knew it, I was standing on the beach waiting for Ricky to come down.

I had been out there for about five minutes before Ricky came down the hill that hid us from the hotel and anyone's natural view. He looked please with my secret keeping skills and I had to admit, I was pretty pleased with his.

"Are you ready to share secrets?" He asked taking my hand as we walked closer to the water.

"I guess, how about you?" I said as I followed his lead.

"I'm ready," he said dropping my hand and making a dash for the water. I stood still, afraid that I knew what was coming next.

The next thing I knew, Ricky came out of the water, shinning orange tail where his legs should have been and no top.

"You're a merman!" I exclaimed just low enough that no one too close would hear.

"Yes, I am," he said. "Please don't run away."

I smiled, mostly at his stupidity. Taking a quick deep breath, I too started for the water. I dove in, imitating Ricky as I did. When I came up I had my tail and was smiling at Ricky like an idiot.

"You're a mermaid," Ricky exclaimed the same way I did.

"Surprised?" I asked, hoping he would say no.

"Kind of happy," He said. "You know I have never meet a mermaid. To tell you the truth, I've never meet anyone like me at all."

I laughed at that, "Really, no friends, I have friends."

"You mean those girls you had a picture of, did you tell me their names?"

"Yes, and no," I answered hoping he wouldn't ask for them, but he was silent.

"Hey I want to show you someplace," he said with a smile. I knew we would both get a kick out of this now.

We dried off as quick as we could. Then I let Ricky take my hand and lead me up some rocks and through a meadow, back to a more rocky shore line and down to a sea cave. It looked almost as Mako, but more open. It was a nice place, for say, a mermaid or merman.

"This is where I changed," He said with a smile, "You might have already known that."

"I didn't, I changed in Australia, Mako Island," I explained, noticing I hadn't really thought about Mako in awhile. "It's kind of like this, but more closed up and in a volcano."

"Volcano, epic," He said. "So your friends…"

"What about them," I asked hoping he wasn't asking for names.

"What are their names," he asked just to push me down.

"How about we skip that for awhile, and get to powers," I said sticking my hand out and freezing the pool.

Ricky froze himself to see me do that. "I thought all merme…people had the same power?" But after he said it he demonstrated his power. He spared his hand out over the frozen water. Moving it in a quicker version of what Rikki did, the water disappeared. He repeated and the water returned.

"That is so cool," I said shocked by his power.

"I know," He said with a smiled, giving me butterflies. "It's getting late, we better get back to the hotel." He finally said, and I agreed following him back up the beach to the hotel.

_Dun..Dun…Dun Yeah dramatic right. Anyway, Pop quiz time: Three answers for a sneak peek at what is to come. _

_What is Rikki's excuse for not doing swimming sports? A) She is Allergic to water B) She is Allergic to Chlorine C) She is Allergic to swimming D) She is just being nice and sitting out with Emma_

_Why are Cleo and Emma more ok with the Zane secret the second time around? A)He helped them the first time. B) Rikki told them sooner C)He really seemed like he cared about Rikki D) he knew where to find Rikki _

_Who has the most dangerous power of the mermaids? A) Rikki B)Emma C)Cleo D) Bella _


	13. Moon’s a Monster

**Emma's Story **

_Answers: 1)B) __She is Allergic to Chlorine 2)C)He really seemed like he cared about Rikki 3)A)Rikki. Good job to all that tried the questions. Anyway, I lied before, this is another chapter taking place in the exact same place as the one before it. Also, I have put up a story almost like this one, but in Lewis POV after he leaves Cleo. In awhile the two will cross, so you might want to read his side of what is going on. The two chapters will be posted at the same time to not give anything away in either story. And on to this chapter. _

**Chapter 13: Moon's a Monster **

Ricky and I made it back to the hotel only minutes before the moon rose. I quickly said good-bye to him so I could still make it back to my room to be with Lilly. When I got up there, I was met with a not happy Lilly and an over happy Page.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I opened the door to my room.

"Well you said you would be here an hour ago," Lilly reminded me. "I was starting to think Bridge had kidnapped you."

I laughed as I let the girls in. "R…Bridge wouldn't do something like that. We just got caught up."

"Why did you say his name like that," Page asked, almost bouncing off the walls.

"Is it a crime to name drop?" I asked, practicing my year-and-a-half old skill of lying, and I've gotten pretty good at it if I do say so myself. "Ok, let's get this show on the road."

We spent the start of the night talking about how we were setting up for the night. I was close to tying Lilly to the desk chair, but Page beat me to it, using my blue jacket for string, because that was the one thing left off of our packing list. I finished locking up the door the best I could, using more a barricade if you ask me, and was starting into the bathroom to put away my supplies, which I'm sure you do not want to hear about, when I hear a noise from the shower. When I turned around I saw something I was sure I would never see unless Cleo was standing behind me and there was an enemy who knew about use in front of me.

"Page!" I said, past my scream, as I fell to the ground avoiding the water that was magically flying towards me.

When Page ran into the bathroom, everything seemed normal, except of course me sitting on the bathroom floor covering my head as if a tornados was going to blow through the hotel.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Page asked more confused than worried, which of course would have been very opposite if it were say Lewis or Cleo finding me like this. "Are you ok?"

I stood up, taking a quick look at the lack of water in the sink and the bathtub. Taking a few deep breaths, I looked toward Page, now completely out of it, and said, "I think I'm losing it. I thought I saw water come from the bathtub and try to attack me."

With that, Page left me alone to my confusion, alone time I did not have much of, because in the next secant I heard a banging on the door and Jane's sour/sweat voice say, "I know you're in there, Ren."

There was more banging as I raced out to the bedroom just in time to see Sam bust the door down, knocking out my lock system, which I was going to completely kill him for when I had the power advantage. The Potters stood there with all their strange magical abilities, none of which include real magic powers, but meant they were stronger, faster, smarter, and all around more powerful than Page, Lilly and me combined.

"Um, Lilly, any ideas here?" I asked in a whisper as the Potters got closer.

"Untie me so I can get us out of here," Lilly offered, which just proved we shouldn't had tied her in the first place, but as it turned out, Page couldn't tie a knot to save her life, which saved Lilly's.

Once untied, Lilly pulled out her wand, and did some little flicky thing. The next thing I knew, we were standing on the beach, drenched in moon light. I looked around, no Potters in sight, then sighed of relief.

"So Emma, what were you saying about attacking water," Page asked out of nowhere.

"A little irrelevant, don't you think," I said keeping my eyes on the hotel door, hoping mo Potter would get to the beach as fast as we did.

"Not really," Page said, tackling me into the sand as what looked like a tactical of water came shooting above us.

"What was that?" Lilly asked motioning to the tactical that disappeared back into the ocean.

I was breathless, mostly because a 13-year-old girl had taken me down unexpectedly. I had my eyes out on the ocean, so I was caught off guard when I hear Lilly's suddenly calm voice say, "Hey, Bridge."

I looked up and saw the blond hair I had last seen speeding through the water, showing me every nock and cranny of the Ireland waters. Thinking I looked like a dork, I brought myself to stand, brushed off the sand and said, "Hey, Bridge," just as Lilly had not secants before.

"Are you ok, Emma?" Ricky asked, eyes out on the ocean, I noticed.

"Everything is fine now," I said, sending my gaze out to the water as well, "Nothing I can't handle."

Ricky smiled towards Page and Lilly, then looked back at me and said, "Emma, can I talk to you, alone."

I nodded, not wanting to speak at that moment, and let Ricky pull me away from the girls and towards the hotel. He held my hands tight as he whispered, "Did water just attack you?"

"You could say that," I whispered. "What's with that, anyway. It's happened twice tonight."

"I was hoping you knew," He said, his hands still holding mine, and at that moment, attacking water, psycho friends, or even the end of the world would not have taken his hands from mine. I was almost expecting him to kiss me, but then we hear a dreaded sound.

"Emma? What on earth are you doing out this late." I turned around to find my mother standing in the doorway to the lobby. I had nothing to say.

_Pop Quiz: Yep, three questions, if you get them right, you get the sneak peek. _

_What color is the gem in the locket Emma found at the bottom of the Moon Pool? A) White B)Red C)Blue D) purple _

_What Ocean are Cleo, Rikki, Emma and Bella swimming in (Hint: Australia doesn't touch the Atlantic Ocean) A) Pacific B) Indian C) Attic D) Atlantic (Which I put cause I needed a fourth answer. Obviously not D) _

_Who is the worst listener in the second season? A) Rikki B) Lewis C) Cleo D) Zane _


	14. Life in a Cage

**Emma's Story **

_Answers to quiz: 1) C) Blue 2) A) Pacific (Hint: America only touches two oceans, Atlantic and Pacific) 3) B) Lewis. Good job to all who tried the questions. On to the next chapter, we are. _

**Chapter 14: Life in a Cage **

Being grounded was a whole new thing for me. I never got in trouble, except for about a year-and-a-half ago. It was a full moon, and all its fault. But I couldn't tell my mom my best friend was possessed by the moon and overheated, there for making the house look like there was some sort of big party. So like lying, being in trouble came with the tale.

Being grounded in a foreign country that you by chance have always wanted to see, well that's a completely different story. It was like being locked in a cage, a cage I was never getting out of until I learned my so called lesion.

Of course I wasn't alone in this grounding thing. Ricky, Lilly, and Page were confined to their rooms, stuck reading books written in French and watching Canadian sitcoms. Then again, there wasn't much more to do out of our rooms but go to hockey games and eat bacon. Sure there were sights, hot guys, cute clothes, and maple syrup but what was I suppose to do with that stuff. Yes, this was torture.

Not being aloud out of my room was also only part of it. There was also that fact that my phone was taken so no contact with the two people who I left back home and hadn't spoken to in, what, months. I hadn't really realized it until I had nothing else to think about.

So I was sitting her, watching some Disney show called Life With Derek, since I wasn't interested in reading a love story at the time, when I remembered a great invention that just happen to be in my room, and I hadn't thought about in months. At a commercial, because this was an ok show, I jumped from my bed and started up the commuter and my only tie to the world outside of the four walls surrounding me.

I had more than 200 emails, a lot from Ash, a few from Lewis, the majority from either Cleo or Rikki, then at least half of spam. It was funny that all the recent ones were spam or Ash trying to say something funny about his new school. But reading through everything just reminded me what my friends had already figured out, I wasn't there. I wasn't a part of everything they were doing, and I wasn't in on anything anymore.

It took me awhile, but I finally decided to send Ash a quick email and be done with it. Turning the computer off, I felt more in a cage than I did when I was just grounded, because now I was in the cage of the group, the cage that kept me from those I was closes to.

I hadn't noticed I had started to cry until a small tapping sound came from my window. Whipping away the tears, I jumped up to the window to find Ricky with a rope and a creepy smile on his face. I didn't like where this was going, but I opened my window anyway.

"What on earth are you doing?" I asked with a small laugh, thinking of Ricky making me scale down from a three story balcony.

"Playing prince charming, I'm coming up, Repunzel!" And with that he throw the rope up for it to just reach the balcony. "Can you tie that on?"

With a sigh, I tied the rope to one of the bars on the balcony and watched as Ricky started to climb up the rope as if he had been doing it for years. I was definitely blown away by that, even if it was a crazy thing to be doing in the first place.

When he reached my room, he gracefully swung his legs over the rail and landed, on his feet, right next to me with a big smile.

"Don't tell me you are also some sort of international spy," I joked as he pulled the rope up and started inside the room.

"Na, they didn't want me, too good for them, everyone was jealous," He joked as he sat down on my bed and looked up at the TV, still on Disney Channel. "Board much?"

Quickly I flipped the TV off and asked, "What are you doing here, anyway. If we get caught we will be grounded when we get to Virginia, and I don't know about you, but I would like to be aloud out of my room."

"Relax, parents left for some big meeting thingy an hour ago, won't be back till dinner," Ricky assured me as he fiddle around with the end of my unmade bed, which was so unlike me.

I stood, uncomfortable in the situation watching him as he scanned the whole room. Eventually his eyes met mine, and stopped. His goofy smile disappeared as he asked, "Is everything alright?"

I turned away, because there was still a lot Ricky didn't know, and I wanted to keep things that way, for a while, just to make me feel there was still something Lilly knew that he didn't. But I knew he wasn't going to let me go today without an answer so I whispered, "I feel like I'm in a cage."

"Is it the whole grounded-in-Vancouver thing?" He asked as if he actually cared how I felt.

"No, it's the whole I-haven't-spoken-to-my-friends-back-home-in-a-month thing," I confessed. "We use to talk forever, now I don't even know if they are ok."

"Would it make you feel better to know, I feel the same way with an old friend of mine from Ireland," Ricky said making me look him in the eye. "The one that nick named me Bridge. I haven't seen her or spoken to her since we were about 12."

"That's terrible," I said, meaning it.

"Yeah, and I don't even know where she is. At least you have that much, right?" His blue eyes bore into mine as he spoke as if he understood every word I spoke and every feeling I felt, because he did.

"I guess," I said, not really meaning the words I was saying now.

I sat on the end of my bed Ricky was not on. He was still smiling, but in more of a sweet-boy-who-gets-it way. His eyes never strayed from mine as he leaned in closer to my face. I couldn't move my body as he got so close we were almost touching. He was so close to my face, when there came a knock on the door. I jumped to answer it, watching as Ricky jumped from the bed and started for the window with his rope. He gave me one last smiled before he disappeared over the rail.

_Pop Quiz: Ok, I have decided to do this pop quiz a little different, Analogies. I hope everyone knows what those are: fin is to fish as leg is to human. Yeah except these will be all relationship things so like mother is to daughter as father is to son. Get it. If not I can give you more examples if you ask. : means is to. :: means as _

_Emma : Elliot :: Sophie : A)Kim B)Rikki C)Will D) Zane_

_Cleo : Charlotte :: Rikki : A)Sophie B)Merriam C)Kim D)Zane _

_Cleo : Gracie :: Lewis : A)Zane B)Byron C) Will D) Max _


	15. Virginia is for Lovers

**Emma's Story **

_Answers to the quiz:1) C) Will 2)A)Sophie 3)D)Max. Good job to all who tried the questions. And on for the next chapter, yeah! _

**Chapter 15: Virginia is for Lovers **

The United States of America, a country everyone should at least visit, if not live in, before they die. A country full of every culture you could imagine with a mix of its own. And yet after being in the airport for more than 10 minutes, I was already missing Australia. Of course had been away for some time now.

We were in Virginia, apparently advertised as the most beautiful state, but I didn't know how people could judge only coming into one state. But I wasn't here to complain. I was here to see all it had to offer. And according to our agendas, we were heading to a water park. Oh how I missed my cage.

Of course being me, the most dangerous place I could be going was a place called Water Country USA. As I boarded the, after spending every night since I learned about the trip trying to get out, I snuck a peek at Ricky sitting with Max. He looked calm from where I was. But he didn't fool me. I knew, on the inside, he was freaking out.

"Do you know what you are going to do yet?" Lilly asked as the bus started to move. "Cause I have been working on this spell…"

"Lilly, no spells," I said quickly, not wanting to have a fire at the park, or some ride come to life. "I've been to a Marine Park before, and was fine. One of my friends even works there."

"But this is a water park, and people are hoping for all of us to get wet," Lilly reminded me.

"Lilly, I have ways of getting out of things like this," I said confidently, but deep in my mind, I knew I had nothing on getting out of this one.

"I hope," She said right before she turned to Page sitting across the aisle with Marcy, leaving me alone to think excuses.

The bus slowed at the entrance of the park, letting us off then leaving. I followed everyone else to the entrance where we were getting out tickets and instructions. I kept my eyes on Ricky as he stood up with Max, talking about who knows what. I watched as he gave him a friendly punch, then left him standing with Elliot and Justin, whom I was still scared to let Elliot be around alone.

"What's your plan?" I heard from behind me. I spun around to find Ricky standing right behind me.

"What's yours?" I asked, hoping he won't see that I didn't have one.

He smiled, but didn't say anything. So I wasn't alone on this. Ricky started for the entrance, following the group, but I could tell he was freaking out for what he was going to find on the other side of that wall. I slowly followed everyone else, but before we could get too far inside, I stopped.

"Is something wrong, Emma?" One of our chaperons asked.

"I have a fear of water," I said quickly, remembering the last time I used that excuse with this group. "I… don't like touching water. It's a long story."

Ricky stopped too when he heard me and started back to where I was standing and said, "I could sit with her outside the park."

"Then you would be missing out," The chaperon said.

"I wouldn't be missing much," Ricky said too quickly. "I too have a small fear of water, heights, really large crowds, germs…"

"Just go," the chaperon finally said before she started back to the group of younger kids heading for some waterslide not far from the entrance.

I looked at Ricky smiling beside me before the two of us started for the picnic area right outside of the park. We sat down on the farthest table and didn't say anything. Ricky had his eyes locked on mine and he was smiling, but there was nothing more than that.

Finally I whispered, "That was a great idea…. Making up all those fears."

"I wasn't making any of them up," Ricky said in a very believable voice. I would have believed him, if one of his fear hadn't had been water. "Yeah, they get me out of things I don't like. So swimming in a crowd."

I laughed, knowing that was something safe for me to do. But then Ricky got quiet. I was thinking a mile a minute, so many things I want to tell him, but won't. So many things I wanted to ask him, but I didn't.

"I'm sorry for the little visit back in Canada," He finally said. "I just had to see you."

"I'm sorry I was so worried about it," I said back, hoping he understood that I was actually really relived he had visited. It did remind me I wasn't always alone.

"I've never know a girl like you," Ricky said. "In every way, you are definitely something special."

I couldn't help it, I smiled. Ricky was smiling back, looking me in the eyes, as if I really was something new to him. I couldn't move my gaze from his eyes. His blue eyes that so long ago reminded me of someone with the same name, miles away and totally unaware of everything I've done here. I could see him movie in towards my lips, but I couldn't help it, I turned away.

"What's wrong," He asked, as if it could really be him that had the problem.

"This is just… it's… I can't really explain," I said slowly stumbling over every word. "I can't do it."

Ricky pulled back and whispered, "I knew it was too good to be true."

"No, Ricky, it's not you," I said quickly, hearing the words and not believing them myself. "It's… It's just… I've been through a lot, and you remind me too much of that." There was a pause where all we could hear the screams of the park right next to us. "I just can't do this without thinking too much of a past that has made it very clear they don't want me. Can you understand."

Ricky nodded and whispered, "Another boy?"

"No," I said softly, but not really in a whisper. "Just friends who have… forgotten about me."

Ricky didn't smile. He didn't laugh. But he didn't move from where he sat not an inch from me. And I guess I could deal with that.

_Pop (not really) Quiz: Yeah same as last chapter. If you don't get it, go back and read. _

_Eva: Bella::Julia: A)Max B)Cleo C)Rikki D)Emma_

_Cleo: Lewis:: Bella: A)Will B)Zane C)Lewis D) Ash _

_Rikki: Elliot:: Sophie: A)Will B)Emma C)Cleo D) Kim _


	16. I'm Never Alone

**Emma's Story **

_Answers: 1)C) Rikki 2)A)Will 3)D)Kim. I have decided to take down Lewis's Story (Just not feeling it anymore) I was also rethinking Past Lives: The Things Unknown and Unsaid. I've been having other idea and don't know whether I should rewrite it that way or finish it as is (Even if I can't think right now on how to do that so it would take much longer) I want your opinion. (And don't try to get me to change my mind about Lewis's Story because I won't.) Oh, Yeah and on to it…_

**Chapter 16: I'm Never Alone **

"California," Lilly started as she stepped off the bus. "What a beautiful place to be stopping. Look we are right on the beach."

"I won't expect anything less, since we have been right on the beach whenever possible," I stated as I grabbed my bags and started towards the hotel. "Besides, when are we ever going to have time for the beach while we are getting privet tours of a privet and elite University."

Lilly huffed as she walked away, but I knew she understood what I was saying. There would be no time to run around on a beach with collage boys. Not that I was planning on running around with collage boys.

As I walked inside, I was pulled back from the door. I spun around to see who had grabbed me and saw it had been Ricky. He looked me in the eyes, showing me he was worried about something. After everyone had made their ways inside Ricky whispered to me, "Surprise beach field trip with the school, to the tide pools, the very wet tide pools."

I looked up into his eyes and nodded my understanding right before he walked into the hotel as well. Taking a deep breath, I followed.

It took me less than an hour to set my things in my room and make it back out to a spot on campuses of the nearby school. We would be learning there and were aloud anywhere on campuses. The beach was right in view, and I was starting to get memorized by the sound of the ocean and the smell of the sea. So I guess it was no surprise that I jumped when I heard a voice behind me ask, "Missing the ocean, why don't you just go for a swim?"

I spun around, planning on seeing Ricky standing behind me, but was even more surprised at who I did see. "Lewis," I said, trying to find my voice beyond my surprise. "Oh-My-Gosh, what are you doing here?"

"Attending school, winning a bet from some not-so-smart classmates," Lewis answered coming around the bench to sit next to me. "What about you?"

"Hiding, in a way," I answered looking over to the three boys watching us. "My group is suppose to be going to the tide pools for science."

"Wet," Lewis commented. "You know, you could come with me, show those boys I can talk to girls, and not get wet."

"Oh when you put it that way," I said with a laugh, knowing he would care more about the secret than a silly bet.

I looked to the hotel, just as Lilly and Page were walking out, laughing about something. I watched as Elliot came out with Max and Ricky right behind them. Molly and Rose came out followed by the Potters, who had been spending more time together than before Charlotte put a curse on them. Our teacher came out just then followed by Mark, Luke, Page and Lucy.

"You coming?" Lewis asked. I knew I was going to regret leaving Ricky, but I had nothing else and I was never going to get another chance like this.

"Let's go," I said following Lewis away from the group, who by now had noticed I wasn't there.

Lewis took me to a small building on campuses which held his science lab space. His station was in the back, one of the two hidden from natural view, which was great, considering how much research he had on mermaids.

Lewis started telling me everything from how water was attacking Cleo and Rikki to how everyone's regular life was going, Cleo's new step-mother, Zane buying the café and calling it Rikki's, even some stories about how that was going. I told Lewis only the things I thought was important for him to know, things like how I was doing alone, how water had attacked me in Ireland and how Charlotte had put a curse on the Potters, details left out.

After we got caught up, Lewis started reading to me some of his newest research. Mostly just stuff on the moon and space.

"So this Charlotte thing," Lewis started. "Any ideas on her motive. Something like getting back at you, Rikki, Cleo, finding a way to get her powers back."

"I don't think that's it." I tried to stay cool as I acted as if I had no idea what she was trying to do. "She seemed nice, when I saw her that morning. Then it became night and everything changed."

Lewis and I had started to walk out of the lab and back towards the hotel. It was getting late. The half moon and stars were above us as we walked along the path. I could hear the ocean nearby and knew for a fact that the group would be back and eating dinner. They would be wondering where I was.

"I have to get back before they send a search party for me," I told him. "It was great seeing you again, Lewis, it really was."

Lewis smiled and gave me another hug before starting off towards what I guessed was his dorm. I watched until I could no longer see him, thinking about how great it had always been to have him around. I turned to go back to the hotel, and that's when I saw Ricky standing there. He looked upset, and probably had seen me with Lewis.

"Ricky, I didn't see you there," I said walking to him.

"Now I get why you wouldn't kiss me," He said, starting toward the beach.

"No, Ricky, please let me explain," I said starting after him.

"No, I think you've explained enough," Ricky said softly. "I get it, we are just friends." Then he was gone. I watched as he disappeared into the night.

_Ok, I have been really bad at updating this story, and since it's summer I promise to try to get better. There will be no more Pop Quizzes just cause I don't feel like doing them anymore. Next chapter should be up soon. And like I said before, opinion on Past Lives: the things Unknown and Unsaid. _


	17. Leave it to Me

**Emma's Story **

**Chapter 17: Leave it to Me **

Time past quickly after that night. Before I knew it two weeks had passed, we were in Mexico and it was full moon time. Since the Potters were visiting family over two hours away, the night was pretty uneventful. I tried again to talk with Ricky, but ever since he saw me with Lewis, he had been avoiding me. We were just a month and half from being in Australia and I was beginning to worry. The fortune teller's words were starting to haunt my mind every time I let them seep in.

We were now in Hawaii. It was a beautiful set of islands. I had gotten to see more than anyone else because of the advantage in the water. I was always hoping I would find Ricky some time soon. This was one of the best places to swim, and I knew he would have to come in sooner or later.

Lilly was still working on protection and fighting spells, to avoid the Potter's power. I tried to hang out with her, but I could tell she was changing with all this power. It just wasn't fun to be with someone who just wanted to hurt or scare others. I had been there before, and I don't think she changed much after I left.

Page was nowhere to be found. She seemed more intent with the earth and sky. Page would stay out late, leave after curfew and wake early, all to be away from everyone. I was actually starting to worry about her not getting enough sleep.

I was also getting a little worried about Elliot. It wasn't that he was doing bad things, he was just not acting like himself. He too was sneaking out past curfew. When I would ask about what he was doing or where he was going, he would lie. I knew because I could pick out lies from newbies now.

As for how I knew people were sneaking out past curfew, well it was because I was too. I was getting stressed and wanted to spend as much time as I could in the water. Being on an island, I guess it was called for, less land much more water. It was just where I felt safe, and could think, while being away from all the hullabaloo of life with people.

I was walking down to the beach, one afternoon, when I heard my name being called from behind me. I turned around to find Ricky running towards me. He looked scared and like he ran from a far distance.

"What's wrong Ricky?" I asked as he got closer.

He took a second to catch his breath before he said, "It's our brothers."

I followed close as Ricky guided me past the hotel and across the street to a park many of us had been hanging out in. There I saw Max, holding his arm in an awkward position standing next to a bench where Elliot was sitting with his leg up.

"What happened?" I asked when I got close enough.

"These boys challenged us to a fight," Max admitted. "And we lost."

"I can see that," I said taking a look at the leg Elliot had propped up. "How could you get into a fight? Elliot, you know better."

Elliot looked down at the ground as I inspected his leg. It was broken. I then looked to Max. I knew before I even inspected his arm that it was broken.

"You know we have to tell Mom," I told Elliot.

"No, you can't," Elliot whined. "I can't get in trouble. You can't tell Mom."

"Elliot you need to see a doctor," I told him. "We have to tell someone other than just ourselves. If I take you to a doctor they will wonder where our parents are, and they will call them. Don't you want to tell them yourself."

Elliot looked away from me for a second time. Ricky stood above me looking over Max's arm. He looked to me than Elliot.

"Ok, here is the plan," Ricky said sitting down in the small space Elliot left on the bench. "We will pose as siblings, all four of us. When they ask about our parents, we tell them they are out at sea, technically not a lie right now. When they ask to call we tell them they don't have a phone out there, but that Emma and I, being 18 and all, are taking care of you."

"But we aren't 18," I reminded him.

"So we lie a little," Ricky said. "I know even you lie a little." I couldn't tell what to infer with that statement.

I looked to Elliot. He looked so upset. I really didn't want to get him in trouble so I said, "What do we tell the parents when Elliot and Max come home with cast?"

Ricky smiled and said, "Hit by a bike." He then pointed to the bikes that were always riding around here. "A biker lost control and ran into them while they were sitting in the grass near the path. We tell the doctors the same thing."

I sighed. Even though I knew it was a big risk lying to everyone like that, I still found myself standing in a hospital saying, "I'm Emma Smith, and my brothers here were in a biking accident."

It wasn't surprising the doctors believed us. There had been ten other reports from that park of bike accidents in the last month. The doctors didn't believe the "No Phone" story and did end up calling their parents and catching us on the "We're Siblings" story, but no one seemed upset.

Later I found myself sitting outside on a bench next to a very quiet Ricky. He had his back to me, and I could tell he was still upset from California.

"Are you mad at me?" I finally asked.

"No," He answered too quickly. Then he turned to face me and said in a softer voice, "I trusted you, and then I hear you talking to someone else about…" voice lowered even more, "Being a mermaid. I don't know what to believe with you anymore."

"What did you hear?" I asked, hoping he didn't hear names.

"He was getting you out of being wet?" Ricky asked. "Sounds like he knows."

"Is that all you heard?" I asked, really scared he heard names.

"Yeah, I was hiding on the beach, where the teacher could see me," Ricky said. "Are you going to explain why your boyfriend knows?"

"He's not my boyfriend," I said quickly and loud. "Look, Ricky, Lewis has always been a great help to me, but a better boyfriend to one of my friends, do you understand. He is just a friend I've known for a while. I don't have a boyfriend. Well I did but we broke up before I left home and we haven't spoken much since so I don't think he really cares what I do and…." I really didn't get to finish because right then Ricky placed his lips to mine catching me off guard. When he pulled away I was shocked.

"You were talking too much," He said with a smile.

My expression didn't change as I stood up and ran off, more confused than ever.


	18. Just A Date

**Emma's Story **

**Chapter 18: Just A Date **

I've been told I'm not good at letting go. Maybe that was the reason I hid from Ricky for a week after Hawaii. It wasn't hard. I was generally helping my brother get around with his broken leg. But I knew it would last long. And was just hoping I would find some reason to avoid this conversation until I learned which RC was going to surprise me, and who was going to get hurt.

"Come on, Emma," Ricky said when we were alone. "We need to talk."

I turned around and looked him in the eyes, my eyes locking with his blue ones. My expression was neutral. I was silent.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly. Then looked away from me as he asked, "Don't you like me?"

"I'm just… confused," I answered softly. "I never want to tell you this, but when I look at you I think of my friend, and I don't want to do that anymore. But you're not making that easy."

"Well I'm sorry then," He said, seeming down.

"No, don't be," I said quickly. "It's my fault, I have a problem letting go, and I don't want to go any further until that is gone."

Ricky was silent we just looked into each other's eyes. There was no sound as I looked over every part of him, from his pale skin to his bleach blond hair. His blue eyes sparkling when they met mine. His lips, so beautiful, the feeling of them on mine lingered in my mind. Everything he did was graceful, so beautiful. Even his voice was beautiful. So why couldn't I just get him into my mind and everything else out.

"Go on a date with me," he finally said, "Tonight, just a date."

I looked into his eyes and said, "Ok." Then I left him.

When I told Lilly of the date, she insisted on giving me a complete make-over. She and Page spent all afternoon working on me. I tried telling them it was nothing, but they wouldn't hear it. At six, they finally left to give me a few minutes before Ricky picked me up at 6:15.

When Ricky got there, he knocked on the door, and I froze. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door. He was so beautiful. He took my hand and closed my door. We walked silently to the elevator, where he pressed the button. Then he looked at me and said, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," I answered playing with the blue dress Lilly insisted I wear.

"And that has nothing to do with Lilly's blue dress," Ricky said taking my face in his hand. I pulled away.

"So where are we going?" I asked, curious to see where he was going to take me and annoyed at all the silence.

"I'm not tell," He said smiling that beautiful smile of his. "Let's just say… we'll be alone."

I smiled, showing him I was enjoying myself while trying to guess, in my head, where we might be going. Obviously some place you would have to swim to, only us. Since we were in Fiji and, again, water was all around us, it was a good guess. That and we were walking towards the beach.

"It's a little island I found, yesterday," He said pointing out into the water. "Just off the coast, not far, but just far enough you can't see it from land."

I looked out into the ocean, it was beautiful as always. I looked back to Ricky, his eyes almost the same shade as the ocean. I laughed and said, "Well then what are we waiting for?"

Ricky was right, not far at all, for us at least. It wasn't that big of an island, but it was romantic. The sun was just setting and the half moon was just rising, giving the sky this beautiful orangish glow to it. Ricky held me tight as we sat on the sand and ate a picnic I'm guessing he brought out here earlier.

"So… how did I do?" Ricky asked, obviously trying to lose the silence that had found its way to us.

"This is… nice," I said softly, looking into his eyes. "It's different."

"That's what I was going for," Ricky said. "Ordinary is boring, I wanted to spice things up."

I laughed. He was trying to be different, and I gave him credit, this was like nothing I had ever done before. He was staring at me. I tried to look away, but I couldn't.

"So, are you over that little… letting go problem?" He asked smiling at his own joke.

"Almost," I whispered, moving closer. "There is just one more thing I have to do." Then I leaned in and kissed him on the lips. It was his turn to be surprised, but he seemed to like it.

It wasn't a long kiss, just a peck, but I could tell both of us were out of breath when it was over. He was smiling. I was smiling. Everything seemed perfect in that one moment. Why did that one moment have to end? Why did I have to go back to the hotel? Why did I have to go to bed? Why did I have to wake up the next morning to hear Molly and Rose talking about how they were going to get Zane Bennett's attention when we got to his home town in two days? Why did the one thing I was afraid of have to be so close? And why couldn't I just take it easy and believe that the fortune teller was a fake? Because I was Emma Gilbert, and I knew of magic, the unthinkable, and reality. And boy was reality wanting to have a field day with me.

_A/N: Ok, not as long as some of my others, but still. The next bit will probably be many chapters long, and the end. It is what the whole story was leading up to. It will be coming after the third season, about a month to be exact. So get ready for the biggest part of the story. _


	19. Home Again

**Emma's Story**

_A/N: This is what we have all been waiting for. Emma is home! Now a few things I you might want to know and I just want to point out are; 1) I'm saying, that after high school, Will's parents made him restart diving for the college interest, I just needed Will to be diving and need sponsoring for the story, you'll see why. 2) I'm also saying, Rikki and Cleo never mentioned Emma to Bella (You saw they never mentioned Bella to Emma) again, purpose of the story and 3) This is the first time in 5 Chapters that Emma will call Ricky Bridge. I just thought that was funny. Ok and on to the chapter before I start randomly typing what else is own my mind. _

**Chapter 19- Home Again **

After one whole year, we were finally here. Home. I was so excited to see what had changed, what was the same, and my two best friends. I wanted it to be like I had never left, but I knew it wasn't going to be. For one, I had a new boyfriend, and new friends, whom my old ones knew nothing about.

Even though we were home, we were still staying in a hotel, for we had sold our house, and we still had to stay with the big group. But I didn't care as much as Elliot and my mother.

The first thing I wanted to do when I got here was swim out to Mako or find Cleo and Rikki. Only problem was, Ricky wanted to spend time with me, and I was afraid to tell him about my friends. Lilly was caught up with Rose, Molly, and Jane, which were now taking all their pervious knowledge to find Zane. Page was somewhere with Elliot, most likely finding Kim and her friends.

I was waiting in the lobby for Ricky when I saw her. She was talking to a man, sounded like he was her father. She didn't sound happy. I tried to ignore it, but as she was walking away, she walked right into me.

"Oh, I am so sorry," She said catching me so I wouldn't fall. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, Yeah, fine. You?" I asked straightening my shirt.

"Fine," She said with a laugh. After straightening her top, she smiled and said, "I'm Bella, by the way."

"Emma," I introduced just as my father walked up holding some papers. "And this is my dad."

"Sorry to interrupt, but Em, I have a task for you," He said handing me the papers.

"That's fine, I have to go," Bella said pushing past my father and started for the doors.

I turned back to my father to see what he was going to say. "I need you to meet with this boy for a sponsorship thing. He is a free diver, and apparently world champ. I can't, because I have a meeting all day, and frankly you know much more about that whole swimming thing than I do. So can you meet him at the pool."

I hesitated for a minute, but in the end, agreed. It wouldn't take too long, I wouldn't have to stand too close to the pool, and I could drag Ricky along, it was the one place I knew he would not bump into Rikki and Cleo.

When I arrived at the pool, I noticed the people there were a blond boy, whom was swimming laps and a red headed girl standing on the side of the pool in sophies and a white tank. The boy swimming stopped and the sophies girl started yelling. Then the swimming boy started more laps. I looked back to Ricky, took a deep breath and confronted the girl.

"Hi, I'm Emma Gilbert. I'm here for…" I looked down at the sheets my father gave me for the name for the boy I was seeing, "Will Benjamin."

"Yes, of course you are, I'm Sophie." She said sticking her hand out for me to shack. I examined it to make sure it was dry, then I shook. "Will is swimming. He is very dedicated to the sport, and he is really talented. He is also very good looking." It sounded like she was trying to make me go on some blind date with the boy. But I did see what she meant by good looking when he stopped swimming again. "Will this is Emma, here about the sponsorship."

"Oh, hey," He said, out of breath and noticeably tired. He climb out of the pool, dripping wet I noticed. I stepped back as he asked, "You want to ask me some questions?"

I looked back to where Ricky was still standing by the entrance, obviously afraid of the pool. I turned back to Will and nodded pulling out another sheet my father gave me.

"I'll leave you to it," Sophie said starting for the entrance. "I have work." But as she started to go, she spotted Ricky and said, "Oh, who is this."

Ricky wasn't talking so I answered, "That's Bridge, my boyfriend."

Sophie smiled at him, but kept her way out of the pool area. I turned back to Will, who had grab a towel and was starting towards me. I stepped back, as to not get wet. He stopped, getting an odd look on his face, but shaking it off quick.

"So the questions," He asked.

I smiled and read the first question to him, "How long have you been diving?"

"uh, about eight years, I stopped for a couple months, but I've been training again for about another month," He answered with a smile.

"Why did you stop?" I asked.

"I uh… met someone who needed me more," He answered. "And my sister is a crazy, over protective, over working, coach."

"And you let her come back?" Ricky asked, having stepped more into the pool area.

"Yeah, I had no one else," Will said walking around me, too close for my comfort, to stand between me and Ricky.

I knew I was going to regret this. When I saw Rikki and Cleo, I knew they were not going to agree. I knew once Ricky heard what I was about to say, he wasn't going to like it. But I felt I had to do it so I said, "I could be your couch. I did some swimming, three years ago, and some couching two years ago. I know a thing or two."

"I guess, how long will you be here?" Will asked.

"Last stop on the world tour," I answered in a happy tone. "And this is my home."

"Cool," He said, "I'd like that."

We went through the rest of the questions quick, Ricky actually coming as close as I was by the end of the sheet. I watched him swim a bit, wrote my opinion and said good-bye, ready to get the report back to my dad. I also promised I would be there tomorrow, to help break it to his sister that I was his new couch. I would also have to break it to Rikki and Cleo, after I broke the whole Ricky thing, and maybe the Lilly and Page thing. But that for another day.


	20. The World Always Changes

**Emma's Story **

**Chapter 20: The World Always Changes **

The next day, I spent the morning walking around town with Ricky. I thought I would hit up some old places before the Zane club found them. We started by walking along the beach. It was a beautiful morning for walking on the beach, so finding the Bella girl from yesterday was no surprise. Her remembering my name was.

"Emma, right?" She asked as she walked up to me. "We bumped into each other yesterday."

I laughed and said, "Yeah, Bella, right. This is my friend, Bridge." I pointed back to Ricky.

"Bridge, like Bridge Carlton from Ireland?" Bella asked. "It's Bella Hartley."

"Bella!" Bridge said with enthusiasm. "O-My-Gosh, it's been so long. I haven't seen you since, well you moved."

Bella laughed and said, "Yeah, I know, we have to catch up."

I didn't know why, but I felt it was a good thing I had found a way to get away from Ricky for a while. It would give me time to find Rikki and Cleo before I had to introduce them to him. So I said, "You two, go catch up. I have some people to find anyway."

Then I started off down the beach and towards the closed down Juice Net Café. I was going to try there, even though I knew the place would be empty. But when I got there, I got my first surprise. Not only was the place not empty, it was a different café all together. And the name surprised me the most. A Rikki's Café sign was hung above the door, glowing neon red.

I walked in and started to take everything in, the back uniforms, the stage and music set up, the red-head behind the counter whom I had met before, and the mangier, I guessed it the second I saw the name.

"Zane," I called over to him. He looked up quick, and I could see the surprise on his face when he saw me.

"Emma?" He asked as I walked over to him. "Your…. Home…. This is…. great." Then he hugged me. Weird, yes. Appreciated, sure.

"Have you seen Cleo or Rikki today?" I asked hoping to skip the finding and get right to the answer.

"I think Cleo had work, you could see her there. Rikki on the other hand is probably at…" He paused. It was like he was debating on whether to tell me something or not. Finally he just said, "Haven't seen her."

Confused, I just said, "That's cool, I'll find her eventually," and started out of the café.

Walking back down the beach towards the Marine Park, I started thinking about what Zane was about to say. Where would Rikki be that he would not be able to tell me? If she was at Mako, I would be one of the first to be notified, right? What happened here while I was gone?

These questions were knocked far back into my mind as I used my old pass to enter the Marine Park. I was glad I had gotten it renewed right before I left. The Marine Park was just as I remembered, same rides, same attractions, same mob of children, parents, and science crazies, new dolphin trainer. Wait, what?

I reread the poster advertising the dolphin show and their star trainer, Cleo Sentori. I was surprised Cleo would do something like that. I was also surprised Rikki went along. Thinking I would surprise Cleo, I went to the show.

I sat high enough in the stands that Cleo wouldn't see me. She was actually pretty good, dressed as a pirate, and actually, pretty safe. After the show, I waited till the crowd had left before I confronted her. When I tapped her on the shoulder, she jumped.

"Emma?" She half asked. Then she gave me a hug.

"Cleo, what? How? Why?" I tried to ask but wasn't really finding the words. I was just excited to be seeing her again after a year.

"Oh, this, yeah," Cleo looked around as if someone was going to be coming out of the water. "I was talked into it, and I'm good."

"I can see that," I said with a laugh. Then I really looked at her. She seemed scared, so I said, "I'm not mad."

"Really, cause Rikki was, big time," Cleo explained laughing. "Speaking of, have you seen her yet?"

"No, I haven't, actually I haven't been many places yet," I explained. "I've been a little stuck with the group, but I'm not anymore."

Cleo and I spent Cleo's break talking about what we missed and some of the things that had happened. I did happen to leave out the part where I hung out with Lilly and Page, and Ricky, but I did tell her about the fortune teller, minus the R.C part. She told me how Lewis left, Rikki and Zane broke up, and how water had been attacking them too, but more than once, and they had stopped it.

Through the talk, I did not get any clues to where Zane was going to say Rikki was. She was obviously not here. I really didn't want to break anything to Cleo until Rikki was here to hear it too. I could tell she wanted to tell me something, but was avoiding it as well. I did not push, knowing these kind of things would work better with all three of us.

Finally, in the end, we made plans to see each other at Mako that night. I was excited to be getting out there after so long. Then we said good-bye as she got back to work and I started for the place Will told me to go.

The instructions told me to head to a boat shed not far from the café. When I got there, I saw a small shack next to the water. There was a small boat, a little like Lewis's, tied up on the pear. Lounge chairs, a table, a grill, and many boxes were outside, making the place seem more like a hang out or home than a normal boat shed. I walked up to the door and knocked getting ready to face Sophie again. I was not ready for who I saw inside.

_A/N: Yes, I'm mean, I leave you with a cliffhanger. Mahahaha. Feel free to tell me what you thought of this chapter through review. _


	21. What I've Come To

**Emma's Story **

**Chapter 21: What I've Come To **

I saw her through the window talking to Will as if he were her big brother. Looking in through the window, I listened to what they were saying. Will seemed excited. Rikki seemed confused.

"Just meet her, I promise you will think the same thing," Will said.

"I'll meet her, but I'm just saying, just because someone is afraid of water, doesn't mean they are a mermaid," Rikki explained, knocking me off guard.

Rikki told Will. Rikki knows Will. Everything seemed a bit jumbled. I let them talk about me for a little longer before knocking on the door, with a surprised face ready for Rikki. It was obvious that Will had not mentioned my name to Rikki, because she was just as surprised to see me as I was to see her.

"Emma!" She said as if testing that it was me. "Maybe you are a good judge of character."

"So you two know each other?" Will asked.

"We use to be best friends," I commented before I confessed "I heard everything."

"Em, we were going to tell you…" Rikki started but she cut off, as if the words just weren't coming to her. My eyes fell to the necklace around her neck. It wasn't her locket, it was a blue crystal that I could've sworn I'd seen before. I ran it through my mind.

Bella! The girl in the lobby, and the girl who ran off with Ricky earlier that day. It was the same crystal she wore around her neck, same style and everything. So what, she knew Bella? I didn't want to find out, but I wanted to know.

"Nice crystal," I commented, and I watched as her hand went straight to the crystal.

"Emma, don't do this," Rikki said softly, like she knew what I was going to say next, which she probably did.

I just shook my head and started for the door. As soon as I was out of there, I started to run. I ran down to the beach, and into the water. I swam as fast as I could to Mako Island. Once I got there, I made my way to the beach, where I just started to walk, not thinking of anything.

"Emma," I heard being called from behind me. I turned around, hoping to see Cleo, but seeing Lilly instead.

"Lilly? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Truthfully, no idea," She admitted. "I think it was a spell gone wrong."

"You found this place too!" I heard a young voice say happily; Page.

"Page, I thought you were with Rose," Lilly said unhappily.

"And she thinks I'm with you," Page confessed. "At least I'm not lying to her anymore. Have you seen this place? It's beautiful. There is a water fall and stream and exotic plants…"

"You have to go," I said cutting her off. "It's not safe here."

"Why not?" Page asked, upset while Lilly seemed happy to get away. "It seemed perfectly fine when I was flying over."

"So you haven't fallen into any caves yet?" I asked. "Good, now leave before…"

"Emma!" I heard being called happily but the expression changed as I heard, "Who are they?"

"Cleo gets here," I finished my sentence. "Um… Lilly, Page, this is Cleo. Cleo, Lilly, and her step-sister Page."

They exchanged hellos quickly. Then Cleo pulled me away from their hearing range and whispered, "How did they get here? I didn't see any boat."

"Truthfully?" I asked, knowing the answer. "No idea, they kind of just showed up. You can ask them."

We looked over at the two sisters and smiled. Then Cleo looked back at me, and that's when I caught what I didn't before; the blue crystal. I didn't want to show her I knew about it, yet. So I just smiled as we stood silent. Then we heard her, or should I say them.

"Cleo?" I heard a female voice ask mixed with, "Emma?" A male voice I knew very well. How did Bella and Ricky get here?

"Bella," I heard Cleo whisper.

"Bridge," I whispered after her, to show I knew the boy she was with.

"How did you get here?" Page asked for me.

"I was going to ask you two the same question," Ricky said slowly.

"What's going on here?" I hear asked by the only person I knew wasn't here yet. Well now it's a party.

"That's what we are all trying to figure out," Cleo confessed as Rikki walked closer to the mess that we had all created.

As she got closer, Cleo moved away from me, Lilly, Page and Ricky, so she was next to Rikki and in front of Bella. Page and Lilly moved behind me and Ricky, so me, Rikki, Cleo and Ricky were in a circle with Lilly and Page on one side and Bella on the other. We stood silent for a while, waiting for someone to speak.

Finally Cleo said, "So how did everyone get here?"

"I think someone should start explaining," Rikki said giving me an upset look.

"I would say, that would help, Emma," Ricky said also giving me an upset look.

There was silence. Everyone was looking at me as if I was the one who was suppose to start explaining. After a minute, both Rikki and Ricky shook their heads and started to walk away in opposite directions. I sighed, looked to the sky and called, "Rikki wait."

"Emma!" Ricky said shocked, "I thought you were going to keep my name a secret. You're my girlfriend for crying out loud."

At this I saw Rikki stop and turn back to the group.

"I wasn't talking to you," I said slowly looking to Rikki. I didn't like her expression.

"You're. Dating. A. Boy. Named. Ricky!" She yelled as loud as she could. "When did this happen?"

"I don't know!" I yelled back. "The same time you dropped everything that had to do with me and pulled in your replacement! Bella." I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I wasn't going to cry. "How long was I gone when you started to hang out with her? How long was I gone when you took off your locket and switched it for that necklace? How long was I gone when you stopped caring enough to let me in on everything that had to do with us?"

"Emma don't go there," Rikki said softly.

"Why shouldn't I?" I said, my voice cracking with every word. "You already have."

There was a silence. No one moved from their spots, as if one step would send someone off the edge. I sighed and whispered just loud enough for Rikki to hear, "What happened?" Then, un to my better judgment, I started to cry.


	22. Evil's Back

**Emma's Story **

**Chapter 22: Evil's Back **

No one was talking. I could tell no one knew where to go now. Everything was messed up, and no one could fix it, no one except the Potters, whom had just showed up, not themselves. Charlotte was there too. She didn't seem happy.

"So you thought you could trick me, Lilly," She said.

"What's going on?" Cleo asked me in a whisper.

"Oh yeah, Charlotte is now chasing witches, which Lilly is," I explained. "She is using the Potters, Jane, Sam, and Justin, as her army. I hadn't mentioned that."

Everyone, except Lilly, Page and me were stunned to their places. Cleo and Rikki moved closer to me, ready to get rid of Charlotte as we had before, with force. She smiled as she said, "Come one, Emma, I've explained before, this isn't your fight."

"Emma," Lilly whispered, "I won't let you get hurt on my account."

"Lilly," I whispered. "You don't get it." I looked up to the changing sky. The moon was just visible. "We've taken Charlotte when she had much more power." Charlotte laughed. "You have to be careful with magic."

Rikki and Cleo smiled at what I said and in unison they said, "It can get out of control."

I could tell Ricky understood what I was saying, for he moved in behind the three of us, making a nice little wall. Then to my surprise, Bella moved in next to him, and Rikki was mad at me. Lilly stay where she was, with Page close beside her. I could tell she wanted to do something, but was a bit scared at what we were about to do ourselves. I could see fear in Charlotte's eyes.

What happened next was quick, painless, for us. It started with the three of us using our power as we had almost a year and a half ago. Then, when Bella and Ricky understood what was going on, they joined in. Charlotte was thrown into the water, and I don't remembering her coming up. With Charlotte out of the way, the Potters were thrown from their trance.

"Lilly, Page, can you help them?" I asked looking to Rikki. As soon as Lilly and Page walked far enough away with the Potters, I said, "This doesn't change anything."

"Emma, I wasn't the one who just dropped everything…" Rikki started but trailed off.

"Rikki, at least I tried longer than you did," I said softer than earlier. "I could only push so much."

Rikki was quiet. I stepped back into Ricky, hoping the two of us were leaving. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cleo. I softened a little as I said, "I'm sorry."

Rikki laughed, "No I'm being stubborn."

Cleo smiled. To me, Bella and Ricky looked confused so I just laughed and said, "Fire and Ice."

"Hey," Rikki said with a smile, "Let's just put the last year behind us… Friends?"

"Friends." I said taking Ricky's hand as the five of us started for the water. It was almost like old times. Almost.

_A/N: Ok I know it was a short last chapter, sorry. But I'm promising now to start a new story ASAP. So tell me what you thought of this one and be on the lookout for more. Bye! _


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